beckon
Americanverb (used with or without object)
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beckons,
present (3rd person singular)
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beckoned,
past participle, past
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beckoning
present participle
noun
verb
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to summon with a gesture of the hand or head
-
to entice or lure
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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beckonsimple
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beckonssimple
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have beckonedperfect
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has beckonedperfect
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am beckoningprogressive
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are beckoningprogressive
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is beckoningprogressive
-
have been beckoningperfect progressive
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has been beckoningperfect progressive
Past
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beckonedsimple
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had beckonedperfect
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was beckoningprogressive
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were beckoningprogressive
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had been beckoningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of beckon
before 950; Middle English beknen, Old English gebē ( a ) cnian, derivative of bēacen beacon
Explanation
To beckon is to use a physical gesture to call someone over to you. Universally recognized gestures used to beckon include crooking the finger or nodding the head to invite someone over. We get the word beckon from the Old English gebecnian, meaning "to make a mute sign," which comes from bēacen, meaning "a sign or beacon." (Remember that "beacon" is a noun while beckon is a verb). When you beckon to someone, you give them a physical sign to "come here." Figuratively, an ice cream sundae might beckon you, calling you away from your diet.
Vocabulary lists containing beckon
List 2
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Some of those listeners and viewers carry on what storytellers like Miyazaki began, doing their part to beckon us to see beyond life’s troubles for a while, to find a bit more balance.
From Salon ● Jul. 8, 2026
But head coach Sergej Jakirovic will be sitting out the Sin City jaunt as he takes a more peaceful breather before the bright lights of the Premier League beckon.
From BBC ● May 23, 2026
The mountains beckon to me not only because I find them beautiful.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 12, 2025
The crypto surged past $100,000 in December 2024, on the expectation that the incoming administration would create a friendly regulatory environment and beckon in a so-called crypto golden age.
From Barron's ● Nov. 24, 2025
I saw Link beckon the hecklers into a huddle.
From "Warriors Don't Cry: A Searing Memoir of the Battle to Integrate Little Rock's Central High" by Melba Pattillo Beals
Hopefully the generation of Gen Z musicians depicted in the film still lust over the chance to try, even as a wretched economy makes road-dogging harder today while digital fame beckons instead.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026
Once the final track has been played, “F.I.G” beckons us to replay, revel in our emotions and dance once, maybe twice or thrice, more.
From Salon ● Jun. 5, 2026
Finally, Cypriot entrant Antigoni - who you might recognise as a former Love Island contestant - beckons us onto the dancefloor for three minutes of Mediterranean escapism.
From BBC ● May 8, 2026
Overseas opportunity still beckons for the concert industry, even as Americans feel the sting of high inflation and demand shows signs of returning to earth from the postpandemic peak.
From MarketWatch ● May 6, 2026
The woman beckons me to follow her with a wave.
From "The Sky at Our Feet" by Nadia Hashimi
As a high-schooler Busby performed locally; a music career beckoned, but based on his academic performance an FBI recruiter offered him a position in the bureau’s fingerprinting lab.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
When Hollywood beckoned, the boys answered the call, cavorting, cutting up and reconfiguring reality on the silver screen.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026
Over time, he and his apostles took on various ideologies, dropping them for new ones as times changed and power beckoned.
From Salon ● Jun. 25, 2026
The League One play-off final beckoned and, off the back of an impressive campaign, perhaps they were destined to return to the second tier just five years after it had all gone wrong.
From BBC ● May 14, 2026
He looked at us both, then beckoned for me to come.
From "The Light in Hidden Places" by Sharon Cameron
She said Holder initially fell asleep on her bed, but woke up and began beckoning Gemma, who was trying to sleep in the lounge.
From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026
His exuberant prose engages all our senses, beckoning us, the way a flower would a curious bee, into a world of hidden wonders.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 17, 2026
But for the most part, America has always been an optimistic nation, with the future beckoning a better day for everyone.
From Salon ● Feb. 12, 2026
At present, it seems Salah is keeping his options open, and it is a busy time for him with Africa Cup of Nations duty beckoning on Monday 15 December.
From BBC ● Dec. 7, 2025
It was terribly dark, and seemed to be beckoning to her.
From "Throne of Glass" by Sarah J. Maas
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
