beguile

[bih-gahyl]

verb (used with object)

beguiled, beguiling 

1. to influence by trickery, flattery, etc.; mislead; delude.

   Synonyms: cheat, deceive

2. to take away from by cheating or deceiving (usually followed byof ).

   to be beguiled of money.

3. to charm or divert.

   a multitude of attractions to beguile the tourist.

   Synonyms: entertain, amuse

4. to pass (time) pleasantly.

   beguiling the long afternoon with a good book.

beguile

/ bɪˈɡaɪl /

verb

1. to charm; fascinate

2. to delude; influence by slyness

3. to deprive (someone) of something by trickery; cheat (someone) of

4. to pass pleasantly; while away

Other Word Forms

• beguilement noun
• beguiler noun
• unbeguiled adjective
• unbeguiling adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of beguile¹

First recorded in 1175–1225, beguile is from the Middle English word bigilen. See be-, guile

Example Sentences

I did a bunch of research on narcissistic abusive relationships and how beguiling and confusing they are.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Ms. Keaton’s la-di-da breeziness was one of her most sneakily beguiling qualities; she came across as the best friend you’d love to confide in because you knew she didn’t hold herself higher than you.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

I’m pleased to report that the car’s most beguiling bit of cabin jewelry—the faceted gear selector, like a steampunk gaming cube embedded in the center console—made it through to the latest redesign.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

"I think it presented so much that was beguiling to contemporaries, but also clearly that Bowie himself found fascinating."

Read more on BBC

How could audiences not fall head over heels, or imagine themselves in his boots, when he’s the beguiling picture of real-life attainability?

Read more on Salon

Related Words

• amuse 
• engross 
• entertain 
• entice 
• rizz up www.thesaurus.com
• seduce 
• tickle 

When To Use

What does beguile mean?

Beguile means to mislead through trickery or flattery, or to deceive someone in order to swindle them out of something.Beguile can also mean to charm in a good way—you can be beguiled by an interesting person or a book that really captures your imagination, for example. Someone or something that’s charming in such a way can be described as beguiling.All senses of the word can imply a sense of magic or enchantment. There are several similar verbs that often have magical feel, such as charm, enchant, bewitch, enrapture, and enthrall.Example: He beguiled his victims with a charm that left them unable to see the deception that was taking place.