beguile, satiate, displease, dissuade, scintillate: meanings and examples

Learn these 5 words from SAT Vocabulary Level 3 set 165. Each entry includes a definition, example sentence, pronunciation, and synonyms. Use the interactive cards above to practice them.

1. beguile · verb/bɪˈɡaɪl/

   to charm or enchant someone in a deceptive way

   The magician's ability to beguile the audience with his mesmerizing tricks left everyone in awe.

   Synonyms: enthrall, allure, enchant

   Origin: The word 'beguile' originates from Middle English 'bigilen', which is derived from the Old French 'guile', meaning to deceive or to cheat.

2. satiate · verb/ˈseɪ.ʃi.eɪt/

   to satisfy fully or to excess

   After an extravagant feast, I felt completely satiated, as if all my culinary desires had been fulfilled.

   Synonyms: satisfy, quell, appease

   Origin: from Latin 'satiare', meaning 'to fill, satisfy', from 'satis' meaning 'enough'.

3. displease · verb/dɪsˈpliz/

   to make someone feel unhappy or dissatisfied

   His decision to change the schedule displeased many team members who had already made plans around the original dates.

   Synonyms: dissatisfy, annoy, trouble

   Origin: The word 'displease' originates from the prefix 'dis-' meaning 'not' and the verb 'please', with origins tracing back to Middle English from the Old French 'plaisir', which in turn comes from Latin 'placere', meaning 'to please'.

4. dissuade · verb/dɪˈsweɪd/

   to persuade someone not to take a particular action

   She tried to dissuade him from quitting his job, believing it was a rash decision.

   Synonyms: discourage, deter

   Origin: from Latin dissuadere, from dis- 'away' + suadere 'to urge'

5. scintillate · verb/ˈsɪn.tɪ.leɪt/

   to emit flashes of light or sparkle

   The stars began to scintillate brightly against the clear night sky, creating a mesmerizing display of light.

   Synonyms: twinkle, sparkle, glitter

   Origin: from Latin 'scintillare', meaning 'to emit sparks'