beckon
To wave or signal to someone to come closer.
beckon in a sentence
- The shopkeeper beckoned us over with a curl of her finger.
- The coach gave a wave to beckon the substitutes over for a quick team talk.
Try an 11+ style question
Verbal reasoning papers often ask about a word like this.
Which word is closest in meaning to beckon?
- Ashoo
- Bsignal
- Cdismiss
- Dignore
Show the answer
B: signal. The other three mean the opposite of beckon.
Which word is most nearly opposite in meaning to beckon?
- Adismiss
- Bcall
- Csignal
- Dwave
Show the answer
A: dismiss. The other three mean nearly the same as beckon.
Words that mean something similar
signal, wave, call
Words that mean the opposite
dismiss, shoo, ignore
More words about movement & action
- billow: To swell and roll like waves, especially smoke or cloth.
- bolster: To support something and make it stronger.
- brandish: To wave something around in an excited or threatening way.
- brisk: Quick and full of energy.
- buoyant: Able to float, or feeling light and cheerful.
- capsize: To tip over in the water.
- careering: Rushing forward very fast and out of control.
- cascade: To pour or tumble downwards like a waterfall; or a tumbling fall of something.
More words to explore
Sitting the 11+ in Kent, Medway or Buckinghamshire?
Plain-English guides to each test, from the councils’ own pages: Kent Test · Medway Test · Bucks Secondary Transfer Test