1
as in cunning
clever at attaining one's ends by indirect and often deceptive means
a smart and beguiling child who can manipulate her parents with alarming ease
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in misleading
tending or having power to deceive
the beguiling allure of a life of crime
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in fascinating
to attract or delight as if by magic
the magician effortlessly beguiled and amazed the children
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in deceiving
to cause to believe what is untrue
beguiled her into believing that yet another worthless item would enhance her life
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in tempting
to lead away from a usual or proper course by offering some pleasure or advantage
was beguiled by the promise of easy money as a drug dealer
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 beguiling
Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 3 Aug. 2025
By turns comic and beguiling, the dreamlike film, which premiered at Cannes’s Directors’ Fortnight and made the Oscar shortlist for best international film, is ultimately about human connection transcending borders and language.
—Taylor Antrim, Vogue, 21 July 2025
Diana Lodderhose, Deadline, 23 Aug. 2025
Althoff’s sarcastic deadpan humor, beguiling personality and awkward line of questioning led her to interviews with Drake, Tyga, Lil Yachty, Rubi Rose, Nick Cannon and Mark Cuban.
—Michael Saponara, Billboard, 22 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for beguiling
Adjective
Gill was a beguiling presence, breaking into an in-place trot when singing a lyric about running around on a sunny day.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 3 Aug. 2025
By turns comic and beguiling, the dreamlike film, which premiered at Cannes’s Directors’ Fortnight and made the Oscar shortlist for best international film, is ultimately about human connection transcending borders and language.
—Taylor Antrim, Vogue, 21 July 2025
Verb
The filmmaker behind our Best Film takes a formally bold and inquisitive approach to his very personal subject, working with his collaborators to combine elements of fiction and documentary into a film of beguiling melancholy and delicate beauty.
—Diana Lodderhose, Deadline, 23 Aug. 2025
Althoff’s sarcastic deadpan humor, beguiling personality and awkward line of questioning led her to interviews with Drake, Tyga, Lil Yachty, Rubi Rose, Nick Cannon and Mark Cuban.
—Michael Saponara, Billboard, 22 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for beguiling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for beguiling
Adjective
-
Bening will costar on the series as Beulah Jackson, who's described as the powerful, cunning, and charming head of a major ranch in Texas.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Sep. 2025
-
Joan Silber is a contemporary genius at creating artful stories of a multitude of characters who ricochet in cunning ways, crossing generations and continents.—
Jane Ciabattari
September 2,
Literary Hub,
2 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Overpayments can occur for many reasons, the agency said, including incorrect wage reporting, failure to meet work requirements or providing false or misleading information.—
Adrienne Roberts,
Freep.com,
9 Sep. 2025
-
In court, government lawyers frequently made false or misleading claims about the men’s whereabouts.—
Jonathan Blitzer,
New Yorker,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Looks can be deceiving, Cali said.—
Bryan Washington,
New Yorker,
7 Sep. 2025
-
The lexicon of the wine world can be deceiving.—
Tom Mullen,
Forbes.com,
25 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
In a sponsor category long dominated by two giants, the athleisure maker joins a wave of challengers tempting star players with opportunities for creative input—and lucrative financial terms.—
Matt Craig,
Forbes.com,
22 Aug. 2025
-
That is an obvious but nevertheless tempting play with Burrow and the first-string offense in action.—
Tyler Everett,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Ofeefan Long-Sleeve A-Line Ribbed-Knit Mini Dress This mini sweater dress would look cute with a cropped leather jacket and coordinating knee-high boots.—
Emily Weaver,
PEOPLE,
7 Sep. 2025
-
Ouligay Period Bag My teen and her friends always make sure to keep their period stashes organized in one cute pouch like this black one.—
Jacquelyn Smith,
Parents,
6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Agencies would review requests, balancing innovation against risks such as economic harm or deceptive practices.—
Paulo Carvão,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
-
There will be a temptation because of his height to draw parallels with Moyes’ use of Marouane Fellaini and Soucek, two key pillars of his Everton and West Ham sides, but where Rohl is concerned, his size can be deceptive.—
Patrick Boyland,
New York Times,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
This is especially true with love planet Venus charming your sixth house of daily routines, work environments and day-to-day affairs.—
Valerie Mesa,
People.com,
25 Aug. 2025
-
As noticed by Variety, the film was warmly received at the festival, charming the critics with its tale of two people who meet by the sea.—
Marta Balaga,
Variety,
16 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
What does work is tricking her into pressing a button that knocks her out.—
Keith Phipps,
Vulture,
4 Sep. 2025
-
While the Phantom Hacker attack is designed specifically to drain your bank accounts, there are plenty of variants relying on tricking you into installing dangerous software that either gives an attacker a view of your device or hijacks it completely.—
Zak Doffman,
Forbes.com,
30 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Beguiling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/beguiling. Accessed 12 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share