Dictionary

beguile en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (UK) audio
• bĭ-gīl′
• /bɪˈɡaɪl/

Etymology

From Middle English begilen, begylen; equivalent to be- + guile. Compare Middle Dutch begilen (“to beguile”). Doublet of bewile.

Meanings

1. (transitive) To deceive or delude (using guile).
   • And as wililye as thoſe ſhrewes that beguyle hym haue holpe hym to inuolue and intryke the matter: I ſhall vſe ſo playn and open a way therin, that euery man ſhall well ſee the trouth. 1533 (date written), Thomas More, “The Debellacyon of Salem and Bizance […]. Chapter XVIJ.”, in Wyllyam Rastell [i.e., William Rastell], editor, The Workes of Sir Thomas More Knyght, […], London: […] Iohn Cawod, Iohn Waly, and Richarde Tottell, published 30 April 1557, →OCLC, page 1004, column 2:
   • I know, sir, I am no flatterer: he that beguiled you, in a plain accent, was a plain knave. c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene ii], line 102:
2. (transitive) To charm, delight or captivate.
   • I will never touch The Orb, even though its mysterious glow seduces and beguiles.
   • 1864 November 21, Abraham Lincoln (signed) or John Hay, letter to Mrs. Bixby in Boston I feel how weak and fruitless must be any words of mine which should attempt to beguile you from the grief of a loss so overwhelming.
3. (transitive) To cause (time) to seem to pass quickly, by way of pleasant diversion.
   • They beguile the tedium of this enforced leisure by weaving baskets and playing on certain sacred flutes. 1911, James George Frazer, The Golden Bough, volume 11, page 241:
   • They beguiled the time by backbiting and intriguing against each other in a foolish kind of way. 1899 February, Joseph Conrad, “The Heart of Darkness”, in Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine, volume CLXV, number M, New York, N.Y.: The Leonard Scott Publishing Company, […], →OCLC, part I, page 213:
   • We beguiled the hours away.

Forms

Deriveds

beguilable · beguiler · beguilement · beguiling · unbeguile

Relateds

wile

Translations (77)

uk обдури́ти (to deceive or delude (using guile)) · nb friste (to deceive or delude (using guile)) · it ingannare (to deceive or delude (using guile)) · ro înșela (to deceive or delude (using guile)) · es cautivar (to charm, delight, or captivate) · uk зачаро́вувати (to charm, delight, or captivate) · la decipio (to deceive or delude (using guile)) · ru обману́ть (to deceive or delude (using guile)) · fr induire en erreur (to deceive or delude (using guile)) · de in die Irre führen (to deceive or delude (using guile)) · vi mê hoặc (to charm, delight, or captivate) · grc κηλέω (to charm, delight, or captivate) · uk підма́нювати (to deceive or delude (using guile)) · es engañar (to deceive or delude (using guile)) · ro amăgi (to deceive or delude (using guile)) · fr tromper (to deceive or delude (using guile)) · mi whakatūaho (to deceive or delude (using guile)) · tr ayartmak (to deceive or delude (using guile)) · ru обма́нывать (to deceive or delude (using guile)) · el παραπλανώ (to deceive or delude (using guile)) · el διασκεδάζω (to charm, delight, or captivate) · et meeldivalt mööda saatma (to charm, delight, or captivate) · it lusingare (to charm, delight, or captivate) · de irreleiten (to deceive or delude (using guile)) · ro încânta (to charm, delight, or captivate) · nb forlokke (to deceive or delude (using guile)) · pt enganar (to deceive or delude (using guile)) · el εξαπατώ (to deceive or delude (using guile)) · ru очарова́ть (to charm, delight, or captivate) · cmn 欺騙 /欺骗 (to deceive or delude (using guile)) · it adulare (to charm, delight, or captivate) · it turlupinare (to deceive or delude (using guile)) · fr duper (to deceive or delude (using guile)) · nl bedriegen (to deceive or delude (using guile)) · nl vervoeren (to charm, delight, or captivate) · ca captivar (to charm, delight, or captivate) · et peibutama (to deceive or delude (using guile)) · cmn 迷人 (to charm, delight, or captivate) · fi viekoitella (to charm, delight, or captivate) · fr ravir (to charm, delight, or captivate) · fi hurmata (to charm, delight, or captivate) · it distogliere (to charm, delight, or captivate) · it incantare (to charm, delight, or captivate) · de verführen (to charm, delight, or captivate) · mk залаже (to deceive or delude (using guile)) · tr baştan çıkarmak (to deceive or delude (using guile)) · de irreführen (to deceive or delude (using guile)) · tr kanına girmek (to deceive or delude (using guile)) · uk причаро́вувати (to charm, delight, or captivate) · ro ademeni (to deceive or delude (using guile)) · nb lokke (to deceive or delude (using guile)) · ca enganyar (to deceive or delude (using guile)) · tr ayartmak (to charm, delight, or captivate) · fr exalter (to charm, delight, or captivate) · ro captiva (to charm, delight, or captivate) · ro fermeca (to charm, delight, or captivate) · uk обма́нювати (to deceive or delude (using guile)) · fi johtaa harhaan (to deceive or delude (using guile)) · tr yoldan çıkarmak (to deceive or delude (using guile)) · mi whakakonuka (to deceive or delude (using guile)) · pt entreter (to charm, delight, or captivate) · cmn 欺瞞 /欺瞒 (to deceive or delude (using guile)) · nl verrukken (to charm, delight, or captivate) · vi dụ dỗ (to deceive or delude (using guile)) · fi pettää (to deceive or delude (using guile)) · fr emporter (to charm, delight, or captivate) · pt encantar (to charm, delight, or captivate) · pt distrair (to charm, delight, or captivate) · mi kohinu (to charm, delight, or captivate) · nl misleiden (to deceive or delude (using guile)) · de betören (to charm, delight, or captivate) · fi hämätä (to deceive or delude (using guile)) · mi ātahu (to charm, delight, or captivate) · ru очаро́вывать (to charm, delight, or captivate) · uk прина́джувати (to charm, delight, or captivate) · ca embetumar (to deceive or delude (using guile)) · it sedurre (to charm, delight, or captivate)