verb
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to summon with a gesture of the hand or head
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to entice or lure
noun
Other Word Forms
- beckoner noun
- beckoning adjective
- beckoningly adverb
- unbeckoned adjective
Etymology
Origin of beckon
before 950; Middle English beknen, Old English gebē ( a ) cnian, derivative of bēacen beacon
Explanation
To beckon is to use a physical gesture to call someone over to you. Universally recognized gestures used to beckon include crooking the finger or nodding the head to invite someone over. We get the word beckon from the Old English gebecnian, meaning "to make a mute sign," which comes from bēacen, meaning "a sign or beacon." (Remember that "beacon" is a noun while beckon is a verb). When you beckon to someone, you give them a physical sign to "come here." Figuratively, an ice cream sundae might beckon you, calling you away from your diet.
Vocabulary lists containing beckon
List 2
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The first of her nine Olympic gold medals came in the event at the 2012 London Games, and the 28-year-old shows no sign of relinquishing her grip as the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics beckon.
From Barron's • Jan. 18, 2026
The mountains beckon to me not only because I find them beautiful.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 12, 2025
One hundred feet into the square, Café Iruña’s terrace and vapors of freshly brewed coffee beckon.
From Salon • Nov. 8, 2025
Shops have stayed open even on holidays, and at dusk, dozens of cars line up the streets as a string of flashy signboards beckon shoppers into the flower-adorned stores.
From BBC • Oct. 17, 2025
Their ears, necks, fingers, and hands are heavy with yellow twenty-four-carat gold jewels as they beckon you over to their counters.
From "First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers" by Loung Ung
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
