beckon

verb

beck·​on ˈbe-kᵊn 

beckoned; beckoning

intransitive verb

1

: to summon or signal typically with a wave or nod

My master beckons.

He … beckoned to the other generals to come and stand where he stood.

—H. E. Scudder

2

: to appear inviting : attract

the frontier beckons

transitive verb

: to beckon to

beckoned us over to their table

beckon noun

Synonyms

• flag
• gesture
• motion
• signal
• wave

Examples of beckon in a Sentence

She was beckoning them in to shore.

She beckoned the waiter to come over.

She beckoned to the waiter to come over.

From the time he was a child, the wilderness beckoned to him.

The nature preserve beckons bird-watchers, who visit from around the world.

Recent Examples on the Web

The pregnant pause that follows effortlessly beckons laughter. —Meredith Blake, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2024

Unlike iOS 18, Android 15 isn't an OS that beckons you to immediately download it, especially when its intriguing Identity Check security feature isn't slated for a release until later this year. —PCMAG, 23 Oct. 2024

Through the spring and summer, the Garden State offered salutations to pedestrians from the tops of London taxis and beckoned from German train platforms. —Will Peischel, Curbed, 7 Oct. 2024

At the time, the House of Tomorrow was synonymous with the glittering lifestyle of the decade, where scores of partygoers could revel comfortably in a living room punctuated by a rock wall and a backyard beckoning with a large pool. —Kelly Dawson, Architectural Digest, 4 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English bekenen, bikenen, becknien, becknyn, going back to Old English bēcnan, bīcnan, bīcnian, bēacnian "to make a mute gesture to, summon, symbolize, portend, reveal," going back to West Germanic *bauhnjan- or *bauhnōjan- (whence also Old Saxon bōknian "to portend, give as a token," Old High German bouhhanen, bouhnen "to give a sign or token, signify"), weak verb derivatives of *baukn- "sign, signal" — more at beacon entry 1

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Kids Definition

beckon

verb

beck·​on ˈbek-ən 

beckoned; beckoning

ˈbek- (ə-)niŋ

1

: to call or signal to a person usually by a wave or nod

they beckoned us to come over

2

: to appear inviting

new adventures were beckoning