entice

verb

en·​tice in-ˈtīs How to pronounce entice (audio)
en-
enticed; enticing

transitive verb

: to attract artfully or adroitly or by arousing hope or desire : tempt
enticement noun
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 Car dealers are struggling to convince the general public to purchase electric vehicles, as the price tags seemingly only entice the upper class. Jenny Goldsberry, Washington Examiner, 19 Nov. 2023 Breakout star Snoop still entices a mindless constituency through partisan pothead epithets that might even embarrass RINOs on the GOP debate stage. Armond White, National Review, 15 Nov. 2023 Along with a free glass replacement, the harvesters at times offer gifts to entice their targets, some as valuable as $200. Eli Tan, Washington Post, 12 Nov. 2023 That growth could prove crucial for the other side of the electric vehicle equation: enticing more consumers to buy them. Coral Davenport, New York Times, 8 Nov. 2023 European retailers are gradually resuming their operations in Ukraine even as the war against Russia continues, overcoming logistical challenges and enticed by rising demand in parts of the country. Andrea Figueras and Helena Smolak, WSJ, 3 Nov. 2023 Fly to Europe for free with a 2024 river cruise Avalon Waterways is enticing Americans to book a European river cruise by offering free round-trip economy airfare from several US cities and giving passengers $250 off their cruise rate with select itineraries. Kyler Alvord, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Oct. 2023 The hope was to entice smartphone shoppers who had been holding onto their old models for longer these days. Mark Gurman, Fortune, 2 Nov. 2023 Ukraine’s enemy, Russia, has had to put much greater emphasis on financial benefits including death insurance, and subsidized mortgages, to entice volunteers. Isayen Herrera, New York Times, 2 Nov. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'entice.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Dictionary Entries Near entice

Cite this Entry

“Entice.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/entice. Accessed 30 Nov. 2023.

Kids Definition

entice

verb
en·​tice in-ˈtīs How to pronounce entice (audio)
enticed; enticing
: to attract by arousing hope or desire : tempt
enticement noun
enticingly adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on entice

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