Definition of WINSOME

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."

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 Michael Jackson, winsome Prince of Pop, had money, power and fame — and, according to Dan Reed’s four-hour film, a cold willingness to use them as tools to molest young boys. — Tom Gliatto, PEOPLE.com, "The 10 Best TV Shows of the Year, According to PEOPLE’s Critic: Fleabag, The Crown and More!," 12 Dec. 2019 But such is the state of the political debate in 2019 that even the winsome and refreshing candidate, Andrew Yang, is a net subtraction to our collective self-understanding. — Rich Lowry, National Review, "Andrew Yang, Snake Oil Salesman," 18 Oct. 2019 The Council’s winsome focus on Christ himself proposed to answer the human search for freedom and truth that modernity claimed to seek. — David P. Deavel, National Review, "Catholicism Confronts Modernity," 24 Oct. 2019 After all, there’s no rule against sporting winsome prints and cheerful colorways after Labor Day. — Marley Marius, Vogue, "20 Ways to Bring Summer Romance Into Fall," 3 Oct. 2019 Burton’s winsome sensibility is rich in romance and history, but also luxury. — Robin Givhan, Washington Post, "Fashion commits many sins. It’s trying to redeem itself.," 2 Oct. 2019 Wu’s presence onscreen—impetuous, possessive, pugilistic, winsome—quickly made her character the axle around which the other family members rotate. — Jiayang Fan, The New Yorker, "Constance Wu’s Hollywood Destiny," 16 Sep. 2019 Sometimes, as with the winsome School of Rock and Everybody Wants Some!! — David Sims, The Atlantic, "Richard Linklater’s Where’d You Go, Bernadette Is a Gripping Mess," 16 Aug. 2019 After a certain point, a certain sameness begins to set in, but the movie merrily chugs along, powered by Moner’s winsome performance and the character’s happily feminist slant. — Randy Cordova, Detroit Free Press, "Live-action Dora the Explorer movie is surprisingly good," 8 Aug. 2019

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.