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.
In one area of the two-story cafe, restaurant and bar, constellations beckon.
From Los Angeles Times
The snowy land was ever so flat and uninspiring and went on forever without a glimmer of adventure beckoning over the horizon.
From Literature
Ripe red juicy apples, beckoning me to sink my teeth into them.
From Literature
But for the most part, America has always been an optimistic nation, with the future beckoning a better day for everyone.
From Salon
He pulled himself along, faster and faster, careless of his bleeding hands and aching legs, toward the source of that icy wind and the glimmer of white that beckoned him.
From Literature
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.
