beguiling
adjective
be·guil·ing
bi-ˈgī-liŋ 
bē-
: agreeably or charmingly attractive or pleasing
a beguiling manner
a beguiling aroma
… it's safe to say that the Balkans have never produced a politician so beguiling.—
Jane Kramer
Jane Kramer
beguilingly
adverb
The restaurant is physically attractive, dishes are beguilingly presented, and the cuisine is always logically inventive, often inspired, sometimes sublime.
—Jay Jacobs
Jay Jacobs
Synonyms
Examples of beguiling in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
One of the most beguiling combinations stars firm slices of raw yellowtail in a pool of cucumber juice, fennel and lime — an electric green foil to the buttery fish.
—Tom Sietsema, Washington Post, 13 Oct. 2023
Noting that the character is very ambivalent, beguiling and also very horrifying, Riedhof says the part called for an actress that could balance these aspects.
—Ed Meza, Variety, 28 Sep. 2023
If these quiet domestic scenes offer a beguiling warmth, much of that can be attributed to their palette.
—Mark Jenkins, Washington Post, 20 Oct. 2023
Next up is International Intrigue, stopping in nine of the world’s most beguiling locales from April 15 to May 8, 2025.
—Rachel Chang, Travel + Leisure, 13 Sep. 2023
But what makes Hamaguchi’s film so haunting is not its beguiling atmosphere but the unexpected and enigmatic ending, which gives everything that’s come before a different, and less comforting, context.
—Rachel Handler, Vulture, 16 Sep. 2023
Ticking all the boxes on an evening celebrating British culture, the actor’s corseted gown was beguiling, but eccentric—a clever proposition from one of the capital’s biggest fashion dreamers, who frequently fuses his off-kilter fabulous work with the theatrical.
—Alice Newbold, Vogue, 14 Sep. 2023
As beguiling as so many of the maps are visually, their contexts and backstories can be even more so.
—Mark Feeney, BostonGlobe.com, 13 Sep. 2023
Selvutsletter Jenny Hval’s electronic project with longtime collaborator Håvard Volden returned in 2021 with the beguiling Menneskekollektivet: a wilderness of insistent beats, otherworldly synths, and decayed electric guitar.
—Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 11 Sep. 2023
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Tom Sietsema, Washington Post, 13 Oct. 2023
Noting that the character is very ambivalent, beguiling and also very horrifying, Riedhof says the part called for an actress that could balance these aspects.
—Ed Meza, Variety, 28 Sep. 2023
If these quiet domestic scenes offer a beguiling warmth, much of that can be attributed to their palette.
—Mark Jenkins, Washington Post, 20 Oct. 2023
Next up is International Intrigue, stopping in nine of the world’s most beguiling locales from April 15 to May 8, 2025.
—Rachel Chang, Travel + Leisure, 13 Sep. 2023
But what makes Hamaguchi’s film so haunting is not its beguiling atmosphere but the unexpected and enigmatic ending, which gives everything that’s come before a different, and less comforting, context.
—Rachel Handler, Vulture, 16 Sep. 2023
Ticking all the boxes on an evening celebrating British culture, the actor’s corseted gown was beguiling, but eccentric—a clever proposition from one of the capital’s biggest fashion dreamers, who frequently fuses his off-kilter fabulous work with the theatrical.
—Alice Newbold, Vogue, 14 Sep. 2023
As beguiling as so many of the maps are visually, their contexts and backstories can be even more so.
—Mark Feeney, BostonGlobe.com, 13 Sep. 2023
Selvutsletter Jenny Hval’s electronic project with longtime collaborator Håvard Volden returned in 2021 with the beguiling Menneskekollektivet: a wilderness of insistent beats, otherworldly synths, and decayed electric guitar.
—Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 11 Sep. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'beguiling.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1646, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near beguiling
Cite this Entry
“Beguiling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beguiling. Accessed 1 Dec. 2023.
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