beguile

English

Alternative forms

• begyle [Middle English–16ᵗʰ C.]

Etymology

be- +‎ guile

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -aɪl

Verb

beguile (third-person singular simple present beguiles, present participle beguiling, simple past and past participle beguiled)

1. (transitive) To deceive or delude (using guile).
   • a. 1608, William Shakespeare, King Lear, II, II, 102.

     I know, sir, I am no flatterer : he that beguiled you, in a plain accent, was a plain knave.

2. (transitive) To charm, delight or captivate.
   • 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.

Related terms

• wile

Translations

to deceive or delude (using guile)

Dutch: misleiden (nl), bedriegen (nl) French: duper (fr), tromper (fr),induire en erreur (fr) German: irreleiten (de), irreführen (de), in die Irre führen (de) Romanian: înșela (ro), ademeni (ro), amăgi (ro) Russian: обманывать (ru)

charm, delight

Dutch: verrukken (nl), vervoeren (nl) French: exalter (fr), emporter (fr),ravir (fr) German: betören (de), verführen (de)

Romanian: încânta (ro), captiva (ro), fermeca (ro) Russian: очаровывать (ru)

References

• beguile in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911
• beguile in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913