beguile

• POS: Verb (usu participle)
• HYPHEN: be=guile

CIDE DICTIONARY

beguile, v. t. 

•  To delude by guile, artifice, or craft; to deceive or impose on, as by a false statement; to lure.  [1913 Webster]

  "The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat."  [1913 Webster]
•  To elude, or evade by craft; to foil.  [1913 Webster]

  "When misery could beguile the tyrant's rage."  [1913 Webster]
•  To cause the time of to pass without notice; to relieve the tedium or weariness of; to while away; to divert.  [1913 Webster]

  "Ballads . . . to beguile his incessant wayfaring."  [1913 Webster]

Syn. -- To delude; deceive; cheat; insnare; mislead; amuse; divert; entertain.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

beguile, v.tr.
1 charm; amuse.
2 divert attention pleasantly from (toil etc.).
3 (usu. foll. by of, out of, or into + verbal noun) delude; cheat (beguiled him into paying).

Derivative

beguilement n. beguiler n. beguiling adj. beguilingly adv.

Etymology

BE- + obs. guile to deceive

THESAURUS

beguile

allure, amuse, bamboozle, beat, becharm, beguile of, betray, bewitch, bilk, bluff, bunco, burn, cajole, call away, captivate, carry away, cast a spell, charm, cheat, cheat on, chisel, chouse, chouse out of, circumvent, cog, cog the dice, con, conjure, convulse, cozen, crib, cross, deceive, defraud, delight, delude, deprive of, detract, detract attention, diddle, distract, divert, divert the mind, do in, do out of, double-cross, dupe, enchant, engage, engross, enliven, enrapture, enravish, entertain, enthrall, entice, entrance, euchre, exhilarate, exploit, fascinate, finagle, finesse, flam, fleece, fleet, flimflam, fob, fool, forestall, four-flush, fracture one, fudge, gammon, get around, gouge, gull, gyp, have, hoax, hocus, hocus-pocus, hoodwink, hornswaggle, humbug, hypnotize, infatuate, intrigue, jockey, juggle, kill, knock dead, let down, loosen up, lure, maneuver, mesmerize, mislead, mock, mulct, outmaneuver, outreach, outsmart, outwit, overreach, pack the deal, pigeon, play, play one false, practice fraud upon, put something over, raise a laugh, raise a smile, recreate, refresh, regale, relax, rook, scam, screw, seduce, sell, sell gold bricks, sell out, shave, shortchange, slay, snow, solace, spell, spellbind, split, stack the cards, stick, sting, string along, swindle, take a dive, take in, thimblerig, throw a fight, tickle, titillate, transport, trick, two-time, vamp, victimize, wile, witch, wow

ROGET THESAURUS

beguile

Content

VB be content, rest satisfied, rest and be thankful, take the good the gods provide, let well alone, let well enough alone, feel oneself at home, hug oneself, lay the flattering unction to one's soul, take up with, take in good part, accept, tolerate, consent, acquiesce, assent, be reconciled to, make one's peace with, get over it, take heart, take comfort, put up with, render content, set at ease, comfort, set one's heart at ease, set one's mind at ease, set one's heart at rest, set one's mind at rest, speak peace, conciliate, reconcile, win over, propitiate, disarm, beguile, content, satisfy, gratify, be tolerated, go down, go down well, go down with, do, be OK.

Error

VB be erroneous, cause error, mislead, misguide, lead astray, lead into error, beguile, misinform, delude, give a false impression, give a false idea, falsify, misstate, deceive, lie, err, be in error, be mistaken, be deceived, mistake, receive a false impression, deceive oneself, fall into error, lie under error, labor under an error, be in the wrong, blunder, misapprehend, misconceive, misunderstand, misreckon, miscount, miscalculate, play at cross purposes, be at cross purposes, trip, stumble, lose oneself, go astray, fail, be in the wrong box, take the wrong sow by the ear, put the saddle on the wrong horse, reckon without one's host, take the shadow for the substance, dream.

Deception

VB deceive, take in, defraud, cheat, jockey, do, cozen, diddle, nab, chouse, play one false, bilk, cully, jilt, bite, pluck, swindle, victimize, abuse, mystify, blind one's eyes, blindfold, hoodwink, throw dust into the eyes, dupe, gull, hoax, fool, befool, bamboozle, flimflam, hornswoggle, trick, impose upon, practice upon, play upon, put upon, palm off on, palm upon, foist upon, snatch a verdict, bluff off, bluff, bunko, four flush, gum, spoof, stuff (a ballot box), circumvent, overreach, outreach, out wit, out maneuver, steal a march upon, give the go-by, to leave in the lurch decoy, waylay, lure, beguile, delude, inveigle, entrap, intrap, ensnare, nick, springe, set a trap, lay a trap, lay a snare for, bait the hook, forelay, spread the toils, lime, trapan, trepan, kidnap, let in, hook in, nousle, nousel, blind a trail, enmesh, immesh, shanghai, catch, catch in a trap, sniggle, entangle, illaqueate, hocus, escamoter, practice on one's credulity, hum, humbug, gammon, stuff up, sell, play a trick upon one, play a practical joke upon one, put something over on one, put one over on, balk, trip up, throw a tub to a whale, fool to the top of one's bent, send on a fool's errand, make game, make a fool of, make an April fool of, make an ass of, trifle with, cajole, flatter, come over, gild the pill, make things pleasant, divert, put a good face upon, dissemble, cog, cog the dice, load the dice, stack the deck, live by one's wits, play at hide and seek, obtain money under false pretenses, conjure, juggle, practice chicanery, deacon, play off, palm off, foist off, fob-off, lie, misinform, mislead, betray, be deceived.