enticed; enticing
Synonyms of entice

transitive verb

: to attract artfully or adroitly or by arousing hope or desire : tempt
Choose the Right Synonym for entice

lure, entice, inveigle, decoy, tempt, seduce mean to lead astray from one's true course.

lure implies a drawing into danger, evil, or difficulty through attracting and deceiving.

lured naive investors with get-rich-quick schemes

entice suggests drawing by artful or adroit means.

advertising designed to entice new customers

inveigle implies enticing by cajoling or flattering.

fund-raisers inveigling wealthy alumni

decoy implies a luring into entrapment by artifice.

attempting to decoy the enemy into an ambush

tempt implies the presenting of an attraction so strong that it overcomes the restraints of conscience or better judgment.

tempted by the offer of money

seduce implies a leading astray by persuasion or false promises.

seduced by assurances of assistance

Examples of entice in a Sentence

every commercial seemed to be for some tempting snack specifically designed to entice me from my diet
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Money has started to enter into the equation with high school athletes, players cannot only legally accept NIL deals at the prep level, but there is also money being tossed around illegally, as athletes are enticed to transfer to certain schools. Chris Hays, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 July 2026 Biden-administration officials then looked for other ways to entice the Saudis to both restart normalization talks and help secure the Gaza Strip. Marie-Rose Sheinerman, The Atlantic, 24 July 2026 By this fall, the company expects to have a deep catalogue of bets to entice customers. Dan Bernstein, Sportico.com, 24 July 2026 The short turn around is designed to entice users to act quickly and pre-order, but rest assured that a similar PayPal deal will likely come around again in the next few months. Janhoi McGregor, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for entice

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French enticer, from Vulgar Latin *intitiare, from Latin in- + titio firebrand

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of entice was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Entice.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/entice. Accessed 27 Jul. 2026.

Kids Definition

enticed; enticing
: to attract by arousing hope or desire : tempt

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