Beguile - plus, Peter Sokolowski discusses our 2016 Word of the Year selections

[Merriam-Webster] WORD OF THE DAY [January 7, 2017] beguile [Audio pronunciation] verb | bih-GHYLE Definition 1 : to lead by deception 2 : to deceive by cunning means 3 : to draw notice or interest by [wiles] or charm 4 : to cause (as time) to pass in a pleasant manner Scroll down for more about beguile WORD GAMES AND QUIZZES: WEEKLY CHALLENGE [December Words of the Day Quiz] 2016's final word of the day quiz [PLAY NOW] Nailed this quiz? We have plenty more to try! [TAKE ME THERE [>]] Plus: [SEE WHAT LOOKUPS ARE TRENDING NOW! [>]] Did You Know? [Deceive], [mislead], [delude], and beguile all mean "to lead astray" or "to frustrate," usually by underhandedness. Deceive implies imposing a false idea or belief that causes ignorance, bewilderment, or helplessness (as in "they tried to deceive me about the cost"). Mislead implies a leading astray that may or may not be intentional (as in "I was misled by the confusing sign"). Delude implies deceiving so thoroughly as to obscure the truth (as in "we were deluded into thinking we were safe"). Beguile stresses the use of charm and persuasion in deceiving (as in "they were beguiled by false promises"), and more generally describes the use of that charm to capture another's attention. Examples of BEGUILE The carnival barker beguiled Ricky into buying a chance at the target-shooting game, even though it was all but impossible to win. "The elusive and suddenly quite prolific Terrence Malick is fascinated, and beguiled, by nothing less than the legacy of all existence in his long-[gestating], [avant]-nature doc Voyage of Time…." — Sam C. Mac, Slant Magazine, 21 Nov. 2016 Name That Synonym Fill in the blanks to complete this synonym of beguile: ho _ d _ in _. [VIEW THE ANSWER [>]] WORD OF THE YEAR 2016 Peter Sokolowski discusses our Word of the Year selections The dictionary is a reflection of the way people use language, and the lookups shed light on topics and ideas that sparked interest around the nation. [SEE HOW WE SELECT OUR WORD OF THE YEAR [>]] MORE WORD FUN: [WORD GAMES [>]] [TRENDING NOW [>]] [WORDS AT PLAY [>]] FOLLOW US: [Facebook] [Twitter] [YouTube] [Instagram] [Pinterest] SHARE: [Facebook][Facebook] [Twitter][Twitter] [View this email in a web browser] You are receiving this email because you opted in to receive the Merriam-Webster Word of the Day. [Unsubscribe from Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day] [Manage your subscription settings] Merriam-Webster, Inc. 47 Federal Street P.O. Box 281 Springfield, MA 01102 [www.merriam-webster.com]