Definition of BEGUILE (original) (raw)
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.
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
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
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 This beguiling coming-of-age novel, set in 1972, follows a twelve-year-old girl who goes to live for a year with her eccentric half-German uncle. —The New Yorker, 23 Sep. 2024 And its subject—with her look of, what, beguiling beauty? —Zoë Dare Hall, Forbes, 15 Sep. 2024 Though these particular lonely escapades begin at a long-term care facility, they are not limited to any one space, with this existential dramedy often beguiling on world-building alone. —Ben Croll, IndieWire, 12 Sep. 2024 The survey presents a look back at over a decade of Yi’s production, which has beguiled viewers for just as long. —Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 6 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for beguile 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'beguile.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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
Time Traveler
The first known use of beguile was in the 13th century
Dictionary Entries Near beguile
Cite this Entry
“Beguile.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beguile. Accessed 1 Oct. 2024.
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Last Updated: 30 Sep 2024 - Updated example sentences
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