Beguile
verb /bɪˈɡʌɪl/ — To charm and attract, often with an element of deception.
Definition
To charm or enchant someone, often in a deceptive way — to attract and hold the attention or interest through something delightful or appealing; to deceive pleasantly.
Beyond the definition
Beguile is attraction that carries a warning. The beguiling person draws you in with genuine appeal — they are not merely charming but somehow more; their presence makes you slightly less careful, slightly more willing. The word preserves the older meaning of gentle deception within the modern meaning of irresistible attraction.
Origin & history
From be- (thoroughly) + obsolete guile (to deceive). From Old French guile (trick, stratagem). To beguile is to trick completely — but the beguiling person does it so pleasantly that the deception is part of the appeal.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
She was beguiled by the city — its beauty made her forget to ask practical questions.
He had a beguiling honesty that made you trust him even when you should have been cautious.
The argument beguiled her into a position she had not intended to occupy.
How to use it
This entry uses a verb. Follow the examples for tense and any objects or prepositions it needs.
Choose “Beguile” when the meaning fits your context: To charm or enchant someone, often in a deceptive way — to attract and hold the attention or interest through something delightful or appealing; to deceive pleasantly.
Synonyms
Antonyms
repel, bore, warn
Related words
Word in the Wild
Illustrative story: an imagined scene, not a documented event or interview.
She wasn't obviously charming. She didn't perform warmth or wit. She just had a way of listening that made you feel, while she was listening, that you were the most interesting person in the room.
You would leave a conversation with her not sure quite what she had told you about herself — but very certain that she understood you.
She turned down his second dinner invitation because she'd realised, walking home from the first, that she hadn't asked him a single question about himself. She needed to understand what had happened to her.
Questions about this word
What does "Beguile" mean?
Beguile is verb meaning: To charm and attract, often with an element of deception.. To charm or enchant someone, often in a deceptive way — to attract and hold the attention or interest through something delightful or appealing; to deceive pleasantly.
Which words express “being consumed by someone”?
Beguile — To charm and attract, often with an element of deception.
Where does the word "Beguile" come from?
From be- (thoroughly) + obsolete guile (to deceive). From Old French guile (trick, stratagem). To beguile is to trick completely — but the beguiling person does it so pleasantly that the deception is part of the appeal.