entice

verb

en·​tice in-ˈtīs 

en-

enticed; enticing

transitive verb

: to attract artfully or adroitly or by arousing hope or desire : tempt

enticement

in-ˈtī-smənt 

en-

noun

Synonyms

• allure
• bait
• beguile
• betray
• decoy
• lead on
• lure
• seduce
• solicit
• 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

With a current payroll just over $200 million, the San Francisco Giants may entice Juan Soto to come to San Francisco. —Bernie Pleskoff, Forbes, 17 Oct. 2024

Among the 100,000 artifacts set to entice visitors are the gold mask of Tutankhamun and a colossal 3,200-year-old statue of Ramesses the Great. —Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 16 Oct. 2024

Last week, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in San José brought a criminal complaint against Baldwin, accusing him of enticing two male teens, age 16 and 17, to provide pornographic images and videos between October 2022 and August 2023. —Jireh Deng, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2024

Lambert: Our public schools should deliver excellent customer service, similar to a successful corporation, in order to entice students and families to attend. —John Tuohy, The Indianapolis Star, 15 Oct. 2024

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

Kids Definition

entice

verb

en·​tice in-ˈtīs 

enticed; enticing

: to attract by arousing hope or desire : tempt

enticement

-mənt 

noun

enticingly

-iŋ-lē 

adverb