beguile

English

Alternative forms

• begyle [from the Middle English period through the 16th century]

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -aɪl
• IPA^(key): /bɪˈɡaɪl/

Verb

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.

   I will never touch The Orb, even though its mysterious glow seduces and beguiles.

3. (transitive) To cause (time) to seem to pass quickly, by way of pleasant diversion.

Related terms

• wile

Translations

to deceive or delude (using guile)

• Catalan: embetumar (ca), enganyar (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 欺騙／欺骗 (zh) (qīpiàn), 欺骗 (zh) (qīpiàn), 欺瞞／欺瞒 (zh) (qīmán), 欺瞒 (zh) (qīmán)

• Dutch: misleiden (nl), bedriegen (nl)
• Estonian: peibutama
• Finnish: juonia (fi), juonitella
• French: duper (fr), tromper (fr), induire en erreur (fr)
• German: irreleiten, irreführen (de), in die Irre führen
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Greek: παραπλανώ (el) (paraplanó), εξαπατώ (el) (exapató)
• Interlingue: ,
• Italian: ingannare (it), turlupinare (it)
• Maori: whakakonuka, whakatūaho
• Portuguese: enganar (pt)
• Romanian: înșela (ro), ademeni (ro), amăgi (ro)
• Russian: обма́нывать (ru) impf (obmányvatʹ), обману́ть (ru) pf (obmanútʹ)
• Spanish: engañar (es)
• Turkish: kanına girmek, yoldan çıkarmak, ayartmak (tr), baştan çıkarmak (tr)

charm, delight

• Catalan: captivar (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 迷人 (zh) (mírén)

• Dutch: verrukken (nl), vervoeren (nl)
• Estonian: meeldivalt mööda saatma
• Finnish: hurmata (fi)
• French: exalter (fr), emporter (fr), ravir (fr)
• German: betören (de), verführen (de)
• Greek: διασκεδάζω (el) (diaskedázo)

  Ancient: κηλέω (kēléō)

• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Italian: incantare (it), distogliere (it), sedurre (it), adulare (it), lusingare (it)
• Maori: ātahu, kohinu
• Portuguese: entreter (pt), distrair (pt), encantar (pt)
• Romanian: încânta (ro), captiva (ro), fermeca (ro)
• Russian: очаро́вывать (ru) impf (očaróvyvatʹ), очарова́ть (ru) pf (očarovátʹ)
• Spanish: encanto engañador m, encanto secretivo m, encanto oculto m, cautivar (es)
• Turkish: ayartmak (tr)

References

• “beguile”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
• “beguile”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.