beguiling

adjective

be·​guil·​ing bi-ˈgī-liŋ 

bē-

: agreeably or charmingly attractive or pleasing

a beguiling manner

a beguiling aroma

… it's safe to say that the Balkans have never produced a politician so beguiling.

—Jane Kramer

beguilingly adverb

The restaurant is physically attractive, dishes are beguilingly presented, and the cuisine is always logically inventive, often inspired, sometimes sublime.

—Jay Jacobs

Synonyms

• artful
• cagey
• cagy
• crafty
• cunning
• cute
• designing
• devious
• dodgy [chiefly British]
• foxy
• guileful
• scheming
• shrewd
• slick
• sly
• subtle
• tricky
• wily

Examples of beguiling in a Sentence

a smart and beguiling child who can manipulate her parents with alarming ease

the beguiling allure of a life of crime

Recent Examples on the Web

But this is one of the most beguiling music worlds he’s ever created — the sound of Robert Smith raging against the darkness and refusing to quit. —Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 28 Oct. 2024

Viewers will be pleased to find three seasons' worth of cases that are properly beguiling and sometimes a bit spooky. —Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 29 Sep. 2024

This is all beguiling and strange, with the light ease of a skipping stone. —Tom Gliatto, Peoplemag, 13 Sep. 2024

The new Vanquish pays tribute to that heritage while offering a beguiling, thoroughly modern driving experience. —Tim Pitt, Robb Report, 29 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1646, in the meaning defined above