beguile

verb be·guile \ bi-ˈgī(-ə)l , bē- \

Definition of beguile

beguiled; beguiling

transitive verb

1 :to lead by deception

beguiled into ambush

2 :hoodwink

beguiled her classmates into doing the work for her

3 :to while away especially by some agreeable occupation; also :divert 2

The seven poems were written to beguile the tedium of a sea voyage.
—Vernon Louis Parrington

4 :to engage the interest of by or as if by guile

His seductive voice beguiled the audience.

intransitive verb

:to deceive by wiles

had intended to beguile

—

beguilement

play \-ˈgī(-ə)l-mənt\ noun

—

beguiler

play \-ˈgī-lər\ noun

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Examples of beguile in a Sentence

She was cunning enough to beguile her classmates into doing the work for her.
They were beguiled into thinking they'd heard the whole story.
Almost everything in the quaint little town beguiles, from its architecture to its art to its people.
He beguiled the audience with his smooth and seductive voice.

Recent Examples of beguile from the Web

Her voice wasn't a typical Broadway belt -- in fact, quite the opposite -- but beguiling just the same.

— rebecca milzoff, Billboard, "Billboard on Broadway Podcast: Cristin Milioti on 'Once,' Covering David Bowie & Loving Pop Music," 18 Aug. 2017
Adjan, for instance, is beguiling as Ellen, a vibrant American woman whose anniversary trip to Paris with her grumpy husband leads to an encounter worthy of a romance novel, sending her home with her own version of a Mona Lisa smile.

— christine dolen, miamiherald, "Intriguing stories swirl in new play about the iconic Mona Lisa," 17 July 2017
In the end, Coppola's Beguiled is only a superficial success.

— ben sachs, Chicago Reader, "Film / Women's Issues Sofia Coppola’s The Beguiled is only a superficial success," 5 July 2017
McBurney, laid up with a bad leg but otherwise functioning lower-body appendages, is properly beguiled by the lovely ladies.

— justin chang, star-telegram.com, "The Civil War-set ‘The Beguiled’ patiently weaves an intoxicating spell," 28 June 2017
There are a number of scenes in The Beguiled that may feel eerily familiar to the alumnae of all-girls schools, but for me there was one in particular that unleashed a torrent of repressed memories.

— allison p. davis, The Cut, "What The Beguiled Gets Right About an All-Girls-School Existence," 28 June 2017
MOVIE REVIEW The BeguiledDirected by Sofia Coppola.

— gary thompson, Philly.com, "Sofia Coppola's 'The Beguiled': An uncivil war between the sexes," 27 June 2017
MOVIE REVIEW The Beguiled Directed by Sofia Coppola.

— gary thompson, Philly.com, "Sofia Coppola's 'The Beguiled': An uncivil war between the sexes," 27 June 2017
THE BEGUILEDIn The Beguiled (in theaters nationwide Friday) Fanning plays Alicia, a coquettish school girl waiting out the end of the Civil War in a Virginia boarding school.

— andrea mandell, USA TODAY, "All grown up: See Elle Fanning's mesmerizing career moves," 25 June 2017

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

The Beguiling History of beguile

A number of English words have traveled a rather curious path from meanings related to deception or trickery to something less unwelcome. A prime example is beguile, which first appeared in English around the 13th century in the sense “to lead or draw by deception.” For the next several centuries, most of the senses of the verb had to do, in one manner or another, with deceiving. Around the time of Shakespeare, however, the word took on a new sense, “to charm.” In a similar vein, fun was first recorded at the end of the 17th century as a verb meaning “to hoax or trick (someone).” It wasn’t until the middle of the 19th century that it began to be used as an adjective indicating that something was enjoyable. Amuse likewise started its life as a verb meaning “to divert the attention of (as from the truth or one's real intent).”

Origin and Etymology of beguile

Middle English bigilen, beguilen, from bi-, be- be- + gile guile or gilen "to deceive, cheat", borrowed from Old French guiler, derivative of guile

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First Known Use: 13th century

See Words from the same year

beguile Synonyms

Synonyms

allure, charm, bewitch, captivate, enchant, fascinate, kill, magnetize, wile, witch [archaic]

Antonyms

undeceive

Related Words

disarm, draw, entice, lure, pull, seduce, tempt; delight, gratify, please; arrest, enrapture, enthrall (or enthral), entrance; appeal (to), interest, intrigue; beckon, court, invite, solicit, woo

Near Antonyms

disgust, offend, repel, revolt; annoy, displease, irk; bore, tire, weary

Synonym Discussion of beguile

deceive, mislead, delude, beguile mean to lead astray or frustrate usually by underhandedness. deceive implies imposing a false idea or belief that causes ignorance, bewilderment, or helplessness.