beckon

verb

beck·​on ˈbe-kᵊn 

beckoned; beckoning

intransitive verb

1

: to summon or signal typically with a wave or nod

My master beckons.

He … beckoned to the other generals to come and stand where he stood.

—H. E. Scudder

2

: to appear inviting : attract

the frontier beckons

transitive verb

: to beckon to

beckoned us over to their table

beckon noun

Synonyms of beckon

• motion
• wave

Examples of beckon in a Sentence

She was beckoning them in to shore.

She beckoned the waiter to come over.

She beckoned to the waiter to come over.

From the time he was a child, the wilderness beckoned to him.

The nature preserve beckons bird-watchers, who visit from around the world.

Recent Examples on the Web

In addition to a walk-in shower, a large standalone bathtub beckoned from the center of the room. —Rebekah Peppler, Travel + Leisure, 9 May 2026

But the siren call of soft jazzy riffs from a grand piano beckons you towards reception. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 May 2026

At the end of the performance, Stapleton beckoned the talk-show host over and handed him a glass of whiskey. —Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 7 May 2026

Encounters with whales, dolphins and penguins awaited; landscapes of icy expanses, towering cliffs and rolling green hills beckoned. —Hira Humayun, CNN Money, 6 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English bekenen, bikenen, becknien, becknyn, going back to Old English bēcnan, bīcnan, bīcnian, bēacnian "to make a mute gesture to, summon, symbolize, portend, reveal," going back to West Germanic *bauhnjan- or *bauhnōjan- (whence also Old Saxon bōknian "to portend, give as a token," Old High German bouhhanen, bouhnen "to give a sign or token, signify"), weak verb derivatives of *baukn- "sign, signal" — more at beacon entry 1

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Rhymes for beckon

• reckon

Kids Definition

beckon

verb

beck·​on ˈbek-ən 

beckoned; beckoning

ˈbek- (ə-)niŋ

1

: to call or signal to a person usually by a wave or nod

they beckoned us to come over

2

: to appear inviting

new adventures were beckoning