temptation
noun
temp·ta·tion
tem(p)-ˈtā-shən 
1
: the act of tempting or the state of being tempted especially to evil : enticement
2
: something tempting : a cause or occasion of enticement
Examples of temptation in a Sentence
Money is always a temptation.
The dessert menu has a lot of delicious temptations.
the temptations of the city
Recent Examples on the Web
The temptation to choose the latter song is high, owed mainly to the voyeuristic thrill that comes with listening to Swift dish about her relationship with Tom Hiddleston.
—
Seija Rankin, EW.com, 17 Apr. 2024
This conservative upbringing successfully molded me into a stringent goody two-shoes, not even tempted by temptation itself.
—Emily Parnell, Kansas City Star, 17 Apr. 2024
His friends fill his head with notions and dust his face with powder, and Paris, against whose temptations his grandfather has warned him, does the rest.
—Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2024
In other words, avoid the temptation to squeeze in quick bites during a virtual work meeting, for example, or chow down while checking your emails—and try your best to slow down.
—Jenna Ryu, SELF, 10 Apr. 2024
The temptation was there to turn it into a Hamptons-y rectangle.
—Christine Lennon, Sunset Magazine, 2 Apr. 2024
Keep tabs on what things cost, and don’t let temptation lead to debt.
—Eugenia Last, The Mercury News, 31 Mar. 2024
An intelligent spending plan requires control and emotional management to avoid temptation and impulse buying.
—Eugenia Last, The Mercury News, 18 Mar. 2024
Over the next 24 hours, Owen supposedly faced a series of tests and temptations involving dragons, demons and serpents.
—Lanta Davis and Vince Reighard, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Mar. 2024
Seija Rankin, EW.com, 17 Apr. 2024
This conservative upbringing successfully molded me into a stringent goody two-shoes, not even tempted by temptation itself.
—Emily Parnell, Kansas City Star, 17 Apr. 2024
His friends fill his head with notions and dust his face with powder, and Paris, against whose temptations his grandfather has warned him, does the rest.
—Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2024
In other words, avoid the temptation to squeeze in quick bites during a virtual work meeting, for example, or chow down while checking your emails—and try your best to slow down.
—Jenna Ryu, SELF, 10 Apr. 2024
The temptation was there to turn it into a Hamptons-y rectangle.
—Christine Lennon, Sunset Magazine, 2 Apr. 2024
Keep tabs on what things cost, and don’t let temptation lead to debt.
—Eugenia Last, The Mercury News, 31 Mar. 2024
An intelligent spending plan requires control and emotional management to avoid temptation and impulse buying.
—Eugenia Last, The Mercury News, 18 Mar. 2024
Over the next 24 hours, Owen supposedly faced a series of tests and temptations involving dragons, demons and serpents.
—Lanta Davis and Vince Reighard, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'temptation.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near temptation
Cite this Entry
“Temptation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/temptation. Accessed 26 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
temptation
noun
temp·ta·tion
tem(p)-ˈtā-shən
1
: the act of tempting : the state of being tempted especially to evil
2
: something tempting
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