beckon

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verb beck·on \ ˈbe-kᵊn \

Definition of beckon

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

See beckon defined for English-language learners

See beckon defined for kids

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 of beckon from the Web

Boyega beckoned the lens with both arms and walked over to his people with the smile of someone who suddenly realized this was the coolest thing ever.

— anna peele, GQ, "John Boyega on Star Wars, Detroit, and Staying Sane with the Help of Robert Downey Jr.," 17 July 2017
But none beckons a dab of quality French butter more than those produced by Colleen DeLee and sold at the Cheese Store of Beverly Hills Wednesday through Sunday.

— marielle wakim, Los Angeles Magazine, "Best of LA: 92 of Our Favorite Things to Eat, Do, and Buy Right Now," 14 July 2017
The present crisis beckons us to begin to change the laws and, in the case of billionaire and corporate influence in our politics, amend the Constitution to end corporate personhood.

— will bunch, Philly.com, "Independence rings hollow on a July 4 with zero accountability," 5 July 2017
And then the bouncer beckoned again, and my daughter entered the club, disappearing into darkness filled with noise.

— mark jacobson, Daily Intelligencer, "The Generation Gap in My Living Room," 30 June 2017
With extra time beckoning, Ronaldo missed another opportunity to give Portugal the lead, heading wide of the post after a cross from the right had set him up in prime position to score, albeit in traffic.

— si.com staff, SI.com, "Watch: Bravo heroic in penalties as Chile outlasts Portugal to reach Confed Cup final," 28 June 2017
In others, governors and mayors are beckoning the industry to come to their states by changing laws or touting other inducements.

— brent snavely, Detroit Free Press, "Cities lure self-driving car jobs in a gold rush," 26 June 2017
The three shows, which run 10 months in total, play on the notion that the horizon tantalizingly beckons us forward but remains forever unattainable.

— siobhan morrissey, miamiherald, "Pérez — both man and museum — look across the horizon to Cuba. Here’s what they see.," 23 June 2017
The rug merchant beckoned to us, plump and beaming, clad in a white tunic and cap.

— diana whitney, Longreads, "My Father’s Adventure Was My Terror," 19 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'beckon.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of beckon

Middle English beknen, from Old English bīecnan, from bēacen sign — more at beacon

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

See Words from the same year

beckon Synonyms

Synonyms

motion, flag, gesture, signal, wave

Related Words

nod; gesticulate, mime, pantomime, sign; signalize; acquaint, advise, inform, relate, tell; flourish, shrug

BECKON Defined for English Language Learners

beckon

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verb

Definition of beckon for English Language Learners

: to signal (someone) with your arm or hand in order to tell that person to come closer or follow
: to appear attractive or inviting
: to attract (someone or something)