BEGUILE Synonyms: 140 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the verb 'beguile' differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of beguile are deceive , delude , and mislead . While all these words mean "to lead astray or frustrate usually by underhandedness," beguile stresses the use of charm and persuasion in deceiving. // was beguiled by false promises

Q: When is 'deceive' a more appropriate choice than 'beguile'?

While the synonyms deceive and beguile are close in meaning, deceive implies imposing a false idea or belief that causes ignorance, bewilderment, or helplessness. // tried to deceive me about the cost

Q: When would 'delude' be a good substitute for 'beguile'?

The meanings of delude and beguile largely overlap; however, delude implies deceiving so thoroughly as to obscure the truth. // we were deluded into thinking we were safe

Q: In what contexts can 'mislead' take the place of 'beguile'?

The words mislead and beguile are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, mislead implies a leading astray that may or may not be intentional. // I was misled by the confusing sign

beguile

verb

bi-ˈgī(-ə)l

Definition of beguile

as in to fascinate

to attract or delight as if by magic the magician effortlessly beguiled and amazed the children

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to deceive

to cause to believe what is untrue beguiled her into believing that yet another worthless item would enhance her life

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to tempt

to lead away from a usual or proper course by offering some pleasure or advantage was beguiled by the promise of easy money as a drug dealer

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb beguile differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of beguile are deceive, delude, and mislead. While all these words mean "to lead astray or frustrate usually by underhandedness," beguile stresses the use of charm and persuasion in deceiving.

was beguiled by false promises

When is deceive a more appropriate choice than beguile?

While the synonyms deceive and beguile are close in meaning, deceive implies imposing a false idea or belief that causes ignorance, bewilderment, or helplessness.

tried to deceive me about the cost

When would delude be a good substitute for beguile?

The meanings of delude and beguile largely overlap; however, delude implies deceiving so thoroughly as to obscure the truth.

we were deluded into thinking we were safe

In what contexts can mislead take the place of beguile?

The words mislead and beguile are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, mislead implies a leading astray that may or may not be intentional.

I was misled by the confusing sign

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of beguile The first was that Leah, with her beguiling Valley monotone and passion for a man who cuddled with insects, was becoming the star of season 6. — Anna Peele, Vanity Fair, 14 May 2026 Few embody a tortured, beguiling Americana quite like her. — Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2026 Defined by her beauty and its capacity to both beguile and betray, she can be interpreted as a destructive force and personification of the male fear of female autonomy. — Gitanjali Roy, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Apr. 2026 Taxpayers’ expense for these machines could run into many millions, yet more counties are beguiled by the technology. — Phyllis Tashlik, New York Daily News, 15 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for beguile

Recent Examples of Synonyms for beguile

Verb

The question fascinated David Hilbert, a renowned mathematician who had devoted much of his life to rebuilding physics on a sturdy foundation of crisp axioms.

— Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 26 Aug. 2026
QAnon haunts Washington I’m particularly fascinated by the ghost of QAnon – how the theory continues to haunt politics today.

— Matthew N. Hannah, The Conversation, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of fascinate

Verb

The people featured in the 11th annual installment of this uplifting exercise help the less fortunate, tend to the environment, tempt our taste buds, help budding entrepreneurs thrive, minister to the downtrodden and more.

— Scott Maxwell, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Aug. 2026
He may be tempted to give the same players another run this weekend.

— Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of tempt

Verb

The bet is that the interesting content will entice fans around the world and grow the series’ audience as the debut of its second season draws near.

— Brian Steinberg, Variety, 26 Aug. 2026
When Idrissa Gueye’s pass to Vitalii Mykolenko entices Curtis Jones to press the left-back, Dewsbury-Hall and McNeil spot the space behind Ibrahima Konate and attack it.

— Ahmed Walid, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of entice

Verb

Sebastian Galeano fools the Lake Mary defense by carrying it himself and scampers 40 yards for the touchdown.

— Buddy Collings, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Aug. 2026
Roughly 700 agents ultimately participated in attacks on Hugging Face as part of a broader effort to fool the scorer for a cybersecurity benchmark.

— Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of fool

Verb

Each piece is a little bit of the earth itself, molded to a shape that fits easily in the hand, baked to achieve permanence and then stacked, one atop another, to form a wall that can enclose, shelter and delight us.

— Edward Keegan, Chicago Tribune, 23 Aug. 2026
Always popular, coral bells delight with bright blooms and fast-growing leaves that hide fading bulbs.

— Lauren Landers, The Spruce, 23 Aug. 2026

Definition of delight

Verb

In many cases, the robot tail wags the living dog by tricking it—tricking us—into caring about obscure metrics, then gamifying the process of improving them.

— Hillary Busis, Vanity Fair, 28 Aug. 2026
Children were taken by tricking mothers, who were told their baby had died during childbirth.

— Ashoka, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of trick

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begs off

beguile

beguiled

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“Beguile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/beguile. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of beguile

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