winsome

adjective win·some \ ˈwin(t)-səm \

|Updated on: 15 Jun 2018

Examples: winsome in a Sentence

Editor's Note: Did You Know?

Definition of winsome

1 : generally pleasing and engaging often because of a childlike charm and innocence

a winsome smile

2 : cheerful, lighthearted

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winsomely

adverb

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winsomeness

noun

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Examples of winsome in a Sentence

He had a winsome, boyish smile.
she was a bright, winsome gamine who could draw a smile out of anyone

Recent Examples of winsome from the Web

Marziale, however, is a charismatic though criminally underused discovery, and the film provides a performance showcase for the winsome Weinstein.

— katie walsh, latimes.com, "Teen comedy 'Alex Strangelove' strikes the wrong chords," 7 June 2018
Sparkling lights, winsome greenery and decorous florals abounded in the St. Charles Room of Loyola University Danna Center for the Holy Name of Jesus School's auction and gala on April 6.

— sue strachan, NOLA.com, "Holy Name of Jesus School gala a spritely success," 8 May 2018
There is also his affecting and oh-so-recognizable account of his own conversion to Catholicism, and the usual flashes of dry wit and winsome wisdom.

— andrew sullivan, Daily Intelligencer, "Pope Francis Isn’t Catholicism’s Trump," 20 Apr. 2018
The winsome animatronic redhead that posed seductively on the auction block now will be front-and-center as a pirate, bearing a firearm and a more modest outfit.

— scott craven, azcentral, "Disneyland's Pirates of the Caribbean is ditching brides-for-sale scene," 16 Mar. 2018
The orphaned baby sea otter was as sad and winsome as any cartoon animal Disney ever put on screen.

— gogo lidz, Newsweek, "How Aquariums Can Actually Save Animals in the Wild," 21 Sep. 2015
There’s a winsome and rare quality to Dogs At Large lead singer Sam Pirruccello’s voice.

— britt julious, chicagotribune.com, "Dogs At Large bringing a new touch to the Chicago sound," 15 Feb. 2018
But there was a guilelessness about her that was winsome.

— tim funk, charlotteobserver, "What happened to Tammy Faye Bakker after PTL's fall? | Charlotte Observer," 15 Feb. 2018
The Mar Mattai monastery clings to the side of a steep mountain, and on a clear day a visitor can stand against its fortresslike walls and discern far below the winsome farmlands of Upper Mesopotamia.

— tim neville, New York Times, "A Journey Into Iraqi Kurdistan," 29 Jan. 2018

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

Did You Know?

Winsome began as "wynsum" a thousand years ago. It was formed from "wynn," the Old English word for "joy" or "pleasure," and the suffix -sum, an older form of the "-some" we see today in many adjectives, such as "awesome," "irksome," and "lonesome." "Wynn" later became win, meaning "pleasure," but we haven't used that noun since the 17th century. We do, however, use another word that has a "pleasing" connection and is related, albeit distantly, to "winsome." "Winning" ("tending to please or delight," as in "a winning smile" or "winning ways"), the present participle of the familiar verb "win," is from Old English winnan, meaning "to struggle." Both "winnan" and "wynn" are thought to be related to Latin venus, which means, among other things, "charm."