beguile

verb

be·​guile bi-ˈgī(-ə)l 

bē-

beguiled; beguiling

transitive verb

1

: hoodwink

beguiled her classmates into doing the work for her

2

: to engage the interest of by or as if by guile

His seductive voice beguiled the audience.

3

: to lead by deception

beguiled into ambush

4

: to while away especially by some agreeable occupation

also : divert sense 2

The seven poems were written to beguile the tedium of a sea voyage.

—Vernon Louis Parrington

intransitive verb

: to deceive by wiles

had intended to beguile

beguilement

bi-ˈgī(-ə)l-mənt 

bē-

noun

beguiler

bi-ˈgī-lər 

bē-

noun

Did you know?

A number of English words have traveled a rather curious path from meanings related to deception or trickery to something less unwelcome. A prime example is beguile, which first appeared in English around the 13th century with the meaning “to lead or draw by deception.” For the next several centuries, most of the senses of the verb had to do, in one manner or another, with deceiving. Around the time of Shakespeare, however, a more appealing sense charmed its way into the English language and hasn’t left since: “to attract or interest someone,” or in other words, “to charm.” Nowadays, you’re just as likely to hear beguile applied to someone who woos an audience with charisma, as to a wily trickster who hoodwinks others to get their way.

Synonyms

• allure
• bewitch
• captivate
• charm
• enchant
• fascinate
• kill
• magnetize
• wile
• witch [archaic]

Choose the Right Synonym for beguile

deceive, mislead, delude, beguile mean to lead astray or frustrate usually by underhandedness.

deceive implies imposing a false idea or belief that causes ignorance, bewilderment, or helplessness.

tried to deceive me about the cost

mislead implies a leading astray that may or may not be intentional.

I was misled by the confusing sign

delude implies deceiving so thoroughly as to obscure the truth.

we were deluded into thinking we were safe

beguile stresses the use of charm and persuasion in deceiving.

was beguiled by false promises

Examples of beguile in a Sentence

She was cunning enough to beguile her classmates into doing the work for her.

They were beguiled into thinking they'd heard the whole story.

Almost everything in the quaint little town beguiles, from its architecture to its art to its people.

He beguiled the audience with his smooth and seductive voice.

Recent Examples on the Web

During the dot-com era, countless dot-com companies beguiled investors with visions of profits conjured by business plans that in some cases were simply bad ideas, and in other cases were somewhat ahead of their time. —George Avalos, The Mercury News, 18 Feb. 2024

From scenes of domestic life in a North Caldwell McMansion to after-hours debauchery at a strip club in Lodi, the show captured a snapshot of the Garden State in the late 1990s and 2000s, beguiling viewers with its regional authenticity. —Anna Kodé, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English bigilen, beguilen, from bi-, be- be- + gile guile or gilen "to deceive, cheat," borrowed from Old French guiler, derivative of guile

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 3

Podcast

Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox!

Kids Definition

beguile

verb

be·​guile bi-ˈgī(ə)l 

beguiled; beguiling

1

: to deceive by cunning means

was beguiled into thinking everything was all right

2

: to draw notice or interest by charm

a beguiling manner

it is the scenery that beguiles the tourists

3

: to cause time to pass pleasantly

beguile the time by telling stories

beguilement

-ˈgī(ə)l-mənt 

noun

beguiler

-ˈgī-lər 

noun