beguile
UK[bɪˈɡaɪl]US[bɪˈɡaɪl]
v
To charm or enchant someone, sometimes in a deceptive way.
v
To trick someone into doing something.
Morpheme Breakdown
be
guile
be
thoroughly
guile
Etymology
The word 'beguile' is a compound formed from the intensive prefix 'be-' and the noun 'guile'. 'Guile' itself entered English from Old French 'guile', meaning deceit, which traces back to the Old Frankish 'wigila', a ruse or trick. This Frankish term is related to the Old English 'wigle', meaning divination or sorcery, both concepts involving cunning and hidden knowledge. Thus, the literal sense of 'beguile' is "to thoroughly envelop with cunning or trickery," a meaning that evolved to encompass both outright deception and the more positive, enchanting sense of charming someone, often by cunning means.
Analysis
Structure: be + guile
be- (Old English): A prefix with a wide range of functions, here used as an intensifier meaning "thoroughly" or "around".
guile (Old French): The core element meaning "deceit, cunning, trickery".
Examples
The storyteller's voice could beguile an audience for hours.
He was beguiled by her flattery into revealing the secret.
The picturesque village beguiles tourists with its old-world charm.