Synonyms of beguile

beguile

verb

bi-ˈgī(-ə)l 

1

as in to fascinate

to attract or delight as if by magic

the magician effortlessly beguiled and amazed the children

Synonyms & Similar Words

• fascinate
• entice
• delight
• charm
• seduce
• captivate
• enchant
• tempt
• lure
• please
• bewitch
• kill
• intrigue
• interest
• witch
• wile
• magnetize
• draw
• allure
• gratify
• pull
• disarm
• woo
• entrance
• beckon
• invite
• appeal (to)
• enthrall
• enrapture
• arrest
• solicit
• court

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• offend
• revolt
• repel
• annoy
• bore
• weary
• disgust
• displease
• irk
• tire

2

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

• deceive
• fool
• trick
• mislead
• delude
• misguide
• tease
• misinform
• hoodwink
• bamboozle
• cozen
• dupe
• hornswoggle
• kid
• sting
• cheat
• bluff
• juggle
• humbug
• sucker
• suck in
• gull
• con
• catch
• hoax
• fake out
• string along
• snooker
• burn
• gammon
• have on
• take in
• have
• spoof
• snow
• buffalo
• gaff
• do a number on
• defraud
• lead one down the garden path
• pull one's leg
• shortchange
• pull the wool over one's eyes
• mulct
• swindle
• put on
• stick
• diddle
• flimflam
• bleed
• euchre
• hustle
• chisel
• fleece
• squeeze
• rook
• skin

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• undeceive
• reveal
• expose
• uncover
• unmask
• tell
• show up
• disclose
• debunk
• divulge
• unveil
• disabuse
• disillusion
• uncloak
• disenchant

3

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

• tempt
• seduce
• lure
• persuade
• entice
• betray
• solicit
• allure
• fascinate
• bait
• lead on
• enchant
• decoy
• trap
• ensnare
• entrap
• inveigle
• captivate
• rope (in)
• draw in
• snow
• charm
• bewitch
• snare
• enmesh
• mesh
• catch
• magnetize
• tangle
• wile

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• warn
• alert
• caution
• ward (off)
• drive (away or off)
• forewarn
• turn away
• repulse

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

Recent Examples of beguile

OpenAI took a step on one of these items Tuesday, announcing a model that predicts whether a user is a minor based on their behavior and usage patterns — a challenge that has beguiled the tech industry for decades. —Rachyl Jones, semafor.com, 21 Jan. 2026

The amendments contain a gimmick meant to beguile the opposition. —Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 3 Jan. 2026

And then in those late nineteen-sixties and early seventies the politician Zulfikar Ali Bhutto had found the magic words with which to beguile an unsophisticated electorate—equality, power to the people, distribution of wealth and nationalizations—and so all those ideas were eddying about. —Cressida Leyshon, New Yorker, 23 Nov. 2025

Even as disembodied typists, the bots can beguile. —Damon Beres, The Atlantic, 5 Nov. 2025

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