beguile

verb

be·​guile bi-ˈgī(-ə)l How to pronounce beguile (audio)
bē-
beguiled; beguiling

transitive verb

1
: hoodwink
beguiled her classmates into doing the work for her
2
: to engage the interest of by or as if by guile
His seductive voice beguiled the audience.
3
: to lead by deception
beguiled into ambush
4
: to while away especially by some agreeable occupation
also : divert sense 2
The seven poems were written to beguile the tedium of a sea voyage. Vernon Louis Parrington

intransitive verb

: to deceive by wiles
had intended to beguile
beguilement noun
beguiler noun

Did you know?

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 with the meaning “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, a more appealing sense charmed its way into the English language and hasn’t left since: “to attract or interest someone,” or in other words, “to charm.” Nowadays, you’re just as likely to hear beguile applied to someone who woos an audience with charisma, as to a wily trickster who hoodwinks others to get their way.

Choose the Right Synonym for 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.

tried to deceive me about the cost

mislead implies a leading astray that may or may not be intentional.

I was misled by the confusing sign

delude implies deceiving so thoroughly as to obscure the truth.

we were deluded into thinking we were safe

beguile stresses the use of charm and persuasion in deceiving.

was beguiled by false promises

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 on the Web From scenes of domestic life in a North Caldwell McMansion to after-hours debauchery at a strip club in Lodi, the show captured a snapshot of the Garden State in the late 1990s and 2000s, beguiling viewers with its regional authenticity. Anna Kodé, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2024 The crystal clear rivers and lush forests of the remote Nichinan region in Tottori Prefecture are home to these beguiling creatures. Sandra MacGregor, Forbes, 14 Feb. 2024 In 1969, Monty Python's Flying Circus revolutionized sketch comedy with a bewildering mix of surreal satire, witty wordplay, and beguiling nonsense. Danny Horn, EW.com, 24 Jan. 2024 Stanley Kubrick's dizzying achievement towers in the pantheon of film like the monolith that beguiles its cast, a lush and indelible exploration of ideas that, more than a half-decade later, continue to fascinate: artificial intelligence, space exploration, the evolution of consciousness. Randall Colburn, EW.com, 9 Nov. 2023 Many are impersonally hostile, some can be put to practical use, and still others simply beguiling to the human crew members of a transport vessel who’ve been stranded on a distant planet and must understand their new ecosystem in order to survive. Inkoo Kang, The New Yorker, 10 Dec. 2023 From a Decaying Bohemian Skylit Garret to a Modern Home Photo: The Steven Cohen Team of Douglas Elliman Kay Lee and Jonathan Chong were beguiled by the crumbling walk-up on West 11th Street. Wendy Goodman, Curbed, 26 Dec. 2023 Joining Saito now are mentee Earl Aguilar and beverage director Ian Lokey, who has curated a wine program certain to beguile oenophiles. Elycia Rubin, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Oct. 2023 But food is just one aspect of beguiling Bologna, the central-Italian hub with nicknames alluding to its red bricks and left-leaning politics (La Rossa), its iconic towers (La Turrita), its food (La Grassa, the fat one), and its thousand-year-old university (La Dotta, the erudite). Kelsy Chauvin, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'beguile.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 3

Time Traveler
The first known use of beguile was in the 13th century

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Dictionary Entries Near beguile

Cite this Entry

“Beguile.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beguile. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

beguile

verb
be·​guile bi-ˈgī(ə)l How to pronounce beguile (audio)
beguiled; beguiling
1
: to deceive by cunning means
was beguiled into thinking everything was all right
2
: to draw notice or interest by charm
a beguiling manner
it is the scenery that beguiles the tourists
3
: to cause time to pass pleasantly
beguile the time by telling stories
beguilement noun
beguiler noun

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