verb
-
to summon with a gesture of the hand or head
-
to entice or lure
noun
Other Word Forms
- beckoner noun
- beckoning adjective
- beckoningly adverb
- unbeckoned adjective
Etymology
Origin of beckon
before 950; Middle English beknen, Old English gebē ( a ) cnian, derivative of bēacen beacon
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.
"Hollywood is beckoning. I can feel it," she said.
From BBC
Their bedroom may be cluttered with all manner of diversion and playthings, but what they really want is that shiny, as-yet unattained object — Rick Caruso! — beckoning from behind glass.
From Los Angeles Times
The hot springs beckoned only 3½ miles away.
From Los Angeles Times
It was his first taste of chocolate that beckoned Lai to Hong Kong as a boy.
From BBC
The mountains beckon to me not only because I find them beautiful.
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.
