different between attract vs beguile

English

Etymology

From Latin attractus, past participle of attrahere (“to draw to, attract”), from ad (“to”) + trahere (“to draw”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /??t?ækt/
• Rhymes: -ækt

Verb

attract (third-person singular simple present attracts, present participle attracting, simple past and past participle attracted)

1. To pull toward without touching.
   • 1713, William Derham, Physico-Theology

     All bodies, and all the parts of bodies, mutually attract themselves, and one another.

2. To arouse interest.

3. To draw by moral, emotional or sexual influence; to engage or fix, as the mind, attention, etc.; to invite or allure.

Synonyms

• allure

Antonyms

• repel

Related terms

Translations

Further reading

• attract in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• attract in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• attract at OneLook Dictionary Search

English

Alternative forms

• begyle [from the Middle English period through the 16th century]

Etymology

From Middle English begilen, begylen; equivalent to be- +? guile. Compare Middle Dutch begilen (“to beguile”). Doublet of bewile.

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -a?l
• IPA^(key): /b???a?l/

Verb

beguile (third-person singular simple present beguiles, present participle beguiling, simple past and past participle beguiled)

1. (transitive) To deceive or delude (using guile).
   • a. 1608, William Shakespeare, King Lear, II, II, 102.

     I know, sir, I am no flatterer: he that beguiled you, in a plain accent, was a plain knave.

2. (transitive) To charm, delight or captivate.
   • 1864 November 21, Abraham Lincoln (signed) or John Hay, letter to Mrs. Bixby in Boston

     I feel how weak and fruitless must be any words of mine which should attempt to beguile you from the grief of a loss so overwhelming.

   I will never touch The Orb, even though its mysterious glow seduces and beguiles.

3. (transitive) To cause (time) to seem to pass quickly, by way of pleasant diversion.

   We beguiled the hours away

Related terms

• wile

Translations

References

• beguile in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• beguile in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.