verb
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to summon with a gesture of the hand or head
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to entice or lure
noun
Other Word Forms
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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"The Treasure of Lemon Brown"
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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.
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 result at Deanna Evans is a series of shrines through which eyes consider us or hands, clasped in prayer or curved in a blessing, beckon.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 14, 2026
Open the door to the theater, and discover a place of urban enchantment, where a red velvet door and crimson wallpaper beckon guests to come closer and sit inside.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 4, 2026
The first of her nine Olympic gold medals came in the event at the 2012 London Games, and the 28-year-old shows no sign of relinquishing her grip as the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics beckon.
From Barron's • Jan. 18, 2026
Uncle Abdullah opened the tailgate of the truck and crooked his finger to beckon me out.
From "Taking Flight: From War Orphan to Star Ballerina" by Michaela DePrince
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.
