Other forms: beguiling, beguiled, beguiles
To beguile is to charm somebody, often in order to deceive. Beguiled by her, a beguiling smile, beguile the time.
The participle beguiling is almost entirely a compliment now, though the deception is still in the root. A third sense, to beguile the time, means to pass it pleasantly.
1verbbeguileTo charm somebody, often in order to deceive.
“He beguiled the old woman with flattery and then stole her savings.”
beguile is a charming.
Be- plus guile, from Old French guile, deceit.
Middle English
begilen
English, today
beguile
From Middle English begilen, begylen; equivalent to be + guile. Compare Middle Dutch begilen (“to beguile”). a doublet of bewile.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA