winsome

adjective

win·some ˈwin(t)-səm

Synonyms of winsome next

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

a winsome smile

: cheerful, lighthearted

winsomely adverb

winsomeness noun

Did you know?

Winsome comes from Old English wynn, meaning "joy" or "pleasure," which was altered in spelling to win (with the same meaning). That win is obsolete and is unrelated to today's win—referring to victory and coming from Old English winnan, "to struggle, suffer, or acquire." The adjective winning, meaning "tending to please or delight," as in "a winning smile" or "winning ways," is believed to be from the victorious win.

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 on the Web Taylor’s book is strongest when depicting Sanders’s winsome eccentricities. —

Zach Helfand, The New Yorker, 11 Nov. 2023 With her string of pearls and winsome smile, the lifelong outsider became a national icon. —

WSJ, 26 Sep. 2023 The story — funny, winsome and touching — only gets better from there. —

Michael Dirda, Washington Post, 1 June 2023 Encircled by the city’s main canals — Herengracht, Prinsengracht, and Keizersgracht — this winsome zone is known for its colorful townhomes, waterfront eateries, upmarket hotels, and attractions like the Anne Frank House. —

Lindsay Cohn, Travel + Leisure, 12 Sep. 2023 Though Gill got out a few awesome licks, so much of the winsome, high lonesome, manic, magic guitar work during Thursday’s show came down to Smith – the forever touring Eagles member who played as part of Rodney Crowell’s band, Cicadas – whose every lick was wiry, bold and inventive. —

A.d. Amorosi, Variety, 8 Sep. 2023 The concept is refreshingly simple: A pair of winsome pub-flies banter about their lives and the world beyond their barstools in Dublin. —

oregonlive, 5 Sep. 2023 Jimmy Fallon wrote it for his daughters; the end result is a witty, winsome yarn about a father's wildest dream. —

Karen Cicero, Good Housekeeping, 10 July 2023 Edwyn Collins, the band’s witty, winsome crooner, asked Manyika to audition on drums. —

Andrew Holter, Rolling Stone, 15 July 2023 See More

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