Definition of beguilenext
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Synonym Chooser

How does the verb beguile differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of beguile are deceive, delude, and mislead. While all these words mean "to lead astray or frustrate usually by underhandedness," beguile stresses the use of charm and persuasion in deceiving.

was beguiled by false promises

When is deceive a more appropriate choice than beguile?

While the synonyms deceive and beguile are close in meaning, deceive implies imposing a false idea or belief that causes ignorance, bewilderment, or helplessness.

tried to deceive me about the cost

When would delude be a good substitute for beguile?

The meanings of delude and beguile largely overlap; however, delude implies deceiving so thoroughly as to obscure the truth.

we were deluded into thinking we were safe

In what contexts can mislead take the place of beguile?

The words mislead and beguile are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, mislead implies a leading astray that may or may not be intentional.

I was misled by the confusing sign

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of beguile And then in those late nineteen-sixties and early seventies the politician Zulfikar Ali Bhutto had found the magic words with which to beguile an unsophisticated electorate—equality, power to the people, distribution of wealth and nationalizations—and so all those ideas were eddying about. Cressida Leyshon, New Yorker, 23 Nov. 2025 Even as disembodied typists, the bots can beguile. Damon Beres, The Atlantic, 5 Nov. 2025 In the five years just before war set in, these were among the dwellings that had beguiled Heinz Gaube (1940–2022), a German academic at the Oriental Seminar of the Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen. JSTOR Daily, 25 Oct. 2025 The results of all those frames are beguiling slow-motion shots that show just how close riders’ body parts are to touching the pavement while leaning during turns. Erik Shilling, Robb Report, 6 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for beguile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for beguile
Verb
  • From legal aspirations to a life of art As a girl, I was fascinated by color, texture and creative expressions.
    Anya Sesay, jsonline.com, 5 Feb. 2026
  • His life’s tapestry reflected a unique business, American and Jewish journey that fascinated and inspired me.
    Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 5 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Is someone attempting to deceive you?
    Big Think, Big Think, 10 Feb. 2026
  • Your eyes aren't deceiving you.
    Jessica Farthing, Southern Living, 8 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Leave room in your suitcase or car trunk, you'll be tempted to load up on bulk spices, global snacks, and sweets from the bakery after visiting.
    Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 8 Feb. 2026
  • With Venus reaching from your resourceful 2nd house to square Uranus in your playful 5th house, you may be tempted to challenge your budget.
    Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 8 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Eric Patrick, 31, pleaded guilty in an Orlando courtroom to attempting to entice a 15-year-old, whom Patrick and his husband, Richard Kowalczyk, met on Grindr, a dating app for gay men, according to Patrick’s plea agreement.
    Silas Morgan, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 Feb. 2026
  • Part of what makes Joomra Pillow Slippers enticing is their waterproof design.
    BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 9 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • These ads may not have fooled as many of us as their makers seemed to think.
    Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 9 Feb. 2026
  • And don’t let the utilities and their friends fool you.
    Kendall Keelen, Hartford Courant, 8 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Pine seduced Roper away from Corky [Roper’s fixer, played by Tom Hollander, who was killed off in season one].
    Max Gao, HollywoodReporter, 3 Feb. 2026
  • Since the dawn of time, the romance of railways has seduced poets, spellbound novelists, and dealt directors the perfect hand for capturing fleeting friendships, illicit affairs, and all manner of crimes and capers.
    Arati Menon, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe.
    Claire Cameron, Scientific American, 10 Feb. 2026
  • An artful renovation has given the Farmhouse—the sixth stay within the Inns of Aurora Resort & Spa campus—a distinctive design, with an impressive art collection and interiors that delight the eye.
    Paul Brady, Travel + Leisure, 10 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • But a new study suggests that, in certain organs, tumors actively communicate with the brain to trick it into protecting them.
    Jacek Krywko, Scientific American, 4 Feb. 2026
  • Experts say such scam operations in Cambodia and elsewhere have cheated people around the world out of billions of dollars and tricked people from many countries to work in them under slave-like conditions.
    Sakchai Lalit, Los Angeles Times, 3 Feb. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Beguile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/beguile. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.

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