winsome
adjective
Did you know?
Despite appearances, winsome bears no relation to the familiar word win, meaning “to achieve victory.” The Old English predecessor of winsome is wynsum, which in turn comes from the noun wynn, meaning “joy” or “pleasure.” And the ancestor of win is the Old English verb winnan, meaning “to labor or strive.” Given those facts, one might guess that the adjective winning, meaning “tending to please or delight,” as in “a winning personality,” is a winsome relation, but in fact it’s in the win/winnan lineage. Winning is more common today than the similar winsome in such constructions as “a winning/winsome smile,” but we sense no hard feelings between the two. It’s just the way things (lexically) go: you win some, you lose some.
Examples of winsome in a Sentence
Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 20 Feb. 2026
At least Tommy gets a love interest this time around, thanks to a winsome sheriff’s daughter (daddy issues in a franchise all about mommy issues?
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 13 Feb. 2026
But Raj and Sophia Laforteza, 23; Daniela Avanzini, 21; Yoonchae Jeung, 18; Manon Bannerman, 23; and Megan Skiendiel, 19, are breaking out of the K-pop mold with a winsome emphasis on individuality and authenticity.
—Ashley Fetters Maloy, Washington Post, 7 Feb. 2026
On the other, the box is rustic cardboard and arrives alongside winsome pictures of grinning goats.
—Matthew Korfhage, Wired News, 1 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for winsome
Cite this Entry
“Winsome.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/winsome. Accessed 26 Feb. 2026.
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winsome
adjective
