seduce

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verb se·duce \ si-ˈdüs , -ˈdyüs \

Definition of seduce

seduced; seducing

transitive verb

1 :to persuade to disobedience or disloyalty

2 :to lead astray usually by persuasion or false promises

3 :to carry out the physical seduction of :entice to sexual intercourse

4 :attract

—

seducer

noun

See seduce defined for English-language learners

See seduce defined for kids

Examples of seduce in a Sentence

He tried to seduce her.
She was seduced by an older man.
The other team seduced him with a better offer.

Recent Examples of seduce from the Web

Sansa freed herself from a bunch of male abusers, got schooled in realpolitik and became an able and sure-handed leader, disabused of the naïve courtly fantasies that used to seduce her.

— anna silman, The Cut, "On Game of Thrones, Sisters Finally Did It for Themselves," 28 Aug. 2017
The Scene: A significant portion of this film is devoted to Harley's backstory—how she was manipulated and seduced by her psychiatric patient The Joker.

— jenna pearl, Marie Claire, "These Recent Superhero Moments Are So Sexist You Won't Believe They Were Made in the Last 5 Years," 22 Aug. 2017
The women seduce the men, and the men beat the women.

— ian tuttle, National Review, "The Welfare Culture and Its Discontents," 1 Aug. 2017
We are utterly seduced by smells of clean laundry, fresh linen, powdery detergents, and starched collars.

— liana schaffner, Allure, "The American Perfumers Modern Approach to Fragrance," 11 July 2017
Dale Leary, 50, seduced one teenage exchange student from Spain named Marta San Jose, then divorced his wife to marry her, according to police.

— david j. neal, miamiherald, "Police investigating a death at the home of a couple accused of molesting a teen," 4 July 2017
Skip the carafe As much as the price might seduce you, in most cases, wine sold in carafes and pitchers is for people who want something cheap and drinkable enough to wash down food.

— hugh garvey, CNT, "How to Order Wine Abroad," 26 June 2017
He was later transferred to Broward County to face seven charges including four counts of using a computer to seduce, solicit or lure a child.

— tonya alanez, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Man, 23, tries to lure girl, 13, to run away with him, cops say," 21 June 2017
Rodger Chieffalo isn’t the type to be seduced by fancy, new and shiny.

— by jenny b. davis photos by joyce marshall, star-telegram, "How one man turned his appreciation of vintage men’s hats into a full-fledged brand," 7 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'seduce.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of seduce

Late Latin seducere, from Latin, to lead away, from se- apart + ducere to lead — more at ¹tow

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First Known Use: 15th century

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seduce Synonyms

Synonyms

allure, bait, beguile, betray, decoy, entice, lead on, lure, solicit, tempt

Related Words

draw in, inveigle, persuade, rope (in), snow; catch, enmesh (also immesh), ensnare, entrap, mesh, snare, tangle, trap; bewitch, captivate, charm, enchant, fascinate, magnetize, wile

Near Antonyms

alert, caution, forewarn, ward (off), warn; drive (away or off), repulse, turn away

Synonym Discussion of seduce

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

SEDUCE Defined for English Language Learners

seduce

play

verb

Definition of seduce for English Language Learners

: to persuade (someone) to have sex with you
: to persuade (someone) to do something

SEDUCE Defined for Kids

seduce

play

verb se·duce \ si-ˈdüs , -ˈdyüs \

Definition of seduce for Students

seduced; seducing

:to persuade (someone) to do something and especially to do something wrong

She was seduced into crime.

Learn More about seduce

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for seduce Spanish Central: Translation of seduce Nglish: Translation of seduce for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of seduce for Arabic speakers

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seduce

Definition of seduce

seducer

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Examples of seduce in a Sentence

Recent Examples of seduce from the Web

Origin and Etymology of seduce

seduce Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

Synonym Discussion of seduce

SEDUCE Defined for English Language Learners

seduce

Definition of seduce for English Language Learners

SEDUCE Defined for Kids

seduce

Definition of seduce for Students

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