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

• tempt
• lure
• seduce
• persuade

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

That's when the companies start trying to entice business customers onto their platform by being really good to them - at the expense of their users. —NPR, 21 Oct. 2025

But an uninspired and shallow story – which includes a rape scene demanded by the studio – hampers his attempts to entice us with a chilling and menacing tone. —Rory Doherty, Vulture, 20 Oct. 2025

Saturday night’s Decision Day slate answered the remaining questions in the standings across the Eastern and Western Conference, yielding a number of enticing first-round matchups and playoff bracket that will kick off following Wednesday night’s wild card play-in games. —Avi Creditor, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2025

Haltom divulged the casket’s backstory in the post, hoping its authenticity might entice a lover of all things macabre. —Elizabeth Hernandez, Denver Post, 16 Oct. 2025

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

Rhymes for entice

• advice
• allspice
• concise
• device
• excise
• fordyce
• precise
• suffice
• dice
• feis
• gneiss
• grice

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