Definitions

tempt

[tempt] / tɛmpt /

VERB

lure, entice

Synonyms

STRONGEST

appeal to attract captivate charm dare fascinate induce intrigue invite motivate persuade seduce stimulate tantalize woo

STRONG

allure bait coax court decoy draw entrap honey up hook incite influence instigate inveigle move oil promote provoke risk rouse solicit test train try wheedle whet

WEAK

butter up draw out lead on make mouth water mousetrap play up to turn one's head

Antonyms

STRONGEST

bore depress discourage disenchant dissuade hinder offend prevent repel repulse

STRONG

delight deter dishearten dull halt please reject release stop turn off

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Indian stocks, still at higher multiples than emerging market peers, need to fall by 20% to tempt global investors back, Budaghyan estimates.

From Barron's • Mar. 5, 2026

For insurance, I kept buying two for cross-country trips but began to tempt fate on my frequent Southwest shuttles to Sacramento and the Bay Area.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 3, 2026

Only a couple of compact cars sell for less than $15,000, and a robust vehicle-financing market may tempt many buyers to overextend themselves for pricier cars, with term loans creeping above five years.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 3, 2025

Builders have a glut of unsold inventory and are leaning heavily on mortgage deals to tempt buyers.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 13, 2025

They could only hope to tempt Maggie back to her old life and pray that would be enough to get Elisha to reject her.

From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock

Vocabulary lists containing tempt

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