Meanings
verbbeckon (third-person singular simple present beckons, present participle beckoning, simple past and past participle beckoned)
present singular third person beckons · participle present beckoning · participle past beckoned · past beckoned
- ambitransitiveTo wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer.
It beckons you to go away with it.
c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iv]1 more example
His distant friends, he beckons near.
1697, Virgil, “(please specify the book number)”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC - ambitransitiveTo seem attractive and inviting.
The election come and gone, work beyond political organizing beckoned.
1980 February 16, Lisa Nussbaum, “Even in the Suburbs”, in Gay Community News, volume 7, number 29, page 101 more example
How the gentle wind / Beckons through the leaves / As autumn colors fall
2016, “Into the Unknown”, in Brandon Michael Armstrong, Joshua Ross Kaufman, Justin Isaac Rubenstein, Patrick Nolen McHale (lyrics), Over the Garden Wall (Original Television Soundtrack), performed by Jack Jones
nounbeckon (plural beckons)
plural beckons
- A children's game similar to hide and seek in which children who have been "caught" may escape if they see another hider beckon to them.
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-West Germanic*bauknōn
- Old Englishbēacnian
- Middle Englishbekenen
- Englishbeckon
From Middle English bekenen, beknen, becnen, beknien, from Old English bēacnian, bēcnian, bīecnan (“to signal; beckon”), from Proto-West Germanic *bauknōn, *bauknijan (“to signal”), from *baukn (“signal; beacon”). Cognate with Old Saxon bōknian, Old High German bouhnen, Old Norse bákna. More at beacon.
More words from Middle English, Old English, Proto-West Germanic
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek ἀποσημαίνω
- ἀποσημαίνω (aposēmaínō)to wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer
Arabic أَشَارَ, أَوْمَأَ
- أَشَارَ (ʔašāra)to wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer
- أَوْمَأَ (ʔawmaʔa)to wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer
Bulgarian кимвам, махвам
- кимвам (kimvam)to wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer
- махвам (mahvam)to wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer
- повиквам с ръка (povikvam s răka)to wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer
Czech pokynout, kývnout
- pokynoutto wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer
- kývnoutto wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer
- pokývnoutto wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer
- dát znameníto wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer
- lákatseem attractive and inviting
- vábitseem attractive and inviting
- zvátseem attractive and inviting
Dutch wenken
- wenkento wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer
Esperanto mansigni, algesti
- mansignito wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer
- algestito wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer
- logiseem attractive and inviting
Finnish viittoa, viittilöidä
- viittoato wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer
- viittilöidäto wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer
French faire signe
- faire signeto wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer
German heranwinken, herbeiwinken
- heranwinkento wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer
- herbeiwinkento wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer
- winkento wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer
- zuwinkento wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer
- einladenseem attractive and inviting
Greek γνέφω
- γνέφω (gnéfo)to wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer
Hungarian int
- intto wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer
Irish bagair
- bagairto wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer
Italian accennare
- accennareto wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer
Māori tungatunga, tawhi
- tungatungato wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer
- tawhito wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer
- pōhirito wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer
- pōwhirito wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer
- tāwhirito wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer
- pōwhiriwhirito wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer
- pōhirihirito wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer
- hūkarito wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer
- hūkarikarito wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer
Persian اشارت کردن
- اشارت کردن (ešârat kardan)to wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer
Portuguese acenar, atrair
- acenarto wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer
- atrairseem attractive and inviting
Russian подзыва́ть
- подзыва́ть (podzyvátʹ)to wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer
Scottish Gaelic smèid
- smèidto wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer
Spanish llamar con señas, hacer ademanes para que se acerque
- llamar con señasto wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer
- hacer ademanes para que se acerqueto wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer
- deseñarto wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer
- hacer gestos para que vengato wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer
Swedish vinka till sig, locka
- vinka till sigto wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer
- lockaseem attractive and inviting
- hägraseem attractive and inviting
Turkish el etmek
- el etmekto wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer
Ukrainian мани́ти, кива́ти
- мани́ти (manýty)to wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer
- кива́ти (kyváty)to wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with beckon
All rhymes →Cite this entry
APA
beckon. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/beckon
MLA
“beckon.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/beckon. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “beckon,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/beckon.
Source: beckon on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.