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

beguilingly adverb

The restaurant is physically attractive, dishes are beguilingly presented, and the cuisine is always logically inventive, often inspired, sometimes sublime.

—Jay Jacobs

Synonyms

• cunning
• cute
• subtle
• deceptive
• slick

Examples of beguiling in a Sentence

a smart and beguiling child who can manipulate her parents with alarming ease

the beguiling allure of a life of crime

Recent Examples on the Web

Jason Lipshutz: Generally speaking, the reviews for American Heart have nodded to Boone’s talent as a backflip-friendly performer and beguiling pop personality, while also focusing on his lack of song craft to this point. —Kyle Denis, Billboard, 1 July 2025

The sleek visual aesthetic fits their slick bars and the beguiling violin sample Pharrell employs alongside sparse, thumping drums. —Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 17 June 2025

Yet the film is more like a beguiling contradiction — a rom-com played straight. —Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 9 June 2025

The protagonist of this beguiling novel, Lina, lives with her father in a realm seemingly unbound by ordinary time. —The New Yorker, New Yorker, 9 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1646, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for beguiling

• compiling
• profiling
• refiling
• reviling
• stockpiling
• unsmiling
• filing
• piling
• smiling
• styling
• tiling
• reconciling