beguile

[ bih-gahyl ]
See synonyms for: beguilebeguiledbeguilesbeguiling on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object),be·guiled, be·guil·ing.
  1. to influence by trickery, flattery, etc.; mislead; delude.

  2. to take away from by cheating or deceiving (usually followed by of): to be beguiled of money.

  1. to charm or divert: a multitude of attractions to beguile the tourist.

  2. to pass (time) pleasantly: beguiling the long afternoon with a good book.

Origin of beguile

1
First recorded in 1175–1225, beguile is from the Middle English word bigilen.See be-, guile

Other words for beguile

Other words from beguile

  • be·guile·ment, noun
  • be·guil·er, noun
  • un·be·guiled, adjective
  • un·be·guil·ing, adjective

Words Nearby beguile

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use beguile in a sentence

  • At night, I sat a long time on the deck, listening to the sea songs with which the crew beguile the evening watch.

  • All day long I sully sheet after sheet of paper and beguile the tedious hours with the half-faded recollections of my childhood.

    Marguerite | Anatole France
  • Seeing her come back to life I gave her more flowers and sang to her, endeavouring to beguile her.

    Marguerite | Anatole France
  • He replied, "Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels."

  • Beside the provisions lay the flute, whose notes had lately been called forth by the lonely watcher to beguile a tedious hour.

British Dictionary definitions for beguile

beguile

/ (bɪˈɡaɪl) /


verb-guiles, -guiling or -guiled (tr)
  1. to charm; fascinate

  2. to delude; influence by slyness

  1. (often foll by of or out of) to deprive (someone) of something by trickery; cheat (someone) of

  2. to pass pleasantly; while away

Derived forms of beguile

  • beguilement, noun
  • beguiler, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012