seduce

verb se·duce \ si-ˈdüs , -ˈdyüs \

|Updated on: 7 Jun 2018

Tip: Synonym Guide

Examples: seduce in a Sentence

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

Kelfer saw an opportunity to blend his zest for aiding others with the sport that seduced him from an early age.

— jake fischer, SI.com, "How a Summer Internship Spawned the Newest Venue for NBA Hopefuls," 21 May 2018
USA TODAY Sports The Argentine Football Association apologized after distributing a World Cup preparation manual to national players, coaches and media members that contained advice on how to seduce Russian women.

— scott gleeson, USA TODAY, "Argentina's soccer federation apologizes for World Cup advice on seducing Russian women," 17 May 2018
Pisces can become seduced by their own fantasies, convincing themselves that a duplicitous relationship is actually the byproduct of a majestic, karmic connection.

— aliza kelly faragher, Allure, "How Each Zodiac Sign Is Most Likely to Cheat in a Relationship," 30 Apr. 2018
But the researchers are seduced by the prospect of prying scientific secrets from huge swaths of land that are no longer off-limits.

— lizzie wade, Science | AAAS, "Colombian scientists race to study once-forbidden territory before it is lost to development—or new conflict," 26 Apr. 2018
Americans were seduced by nouvelle cuisine both for the personality in the food itself and the attention paid to the chefs, which altered their perception of the profession and put faces to the movement.

— Longreads, "“We All Had the Same Acid Flashback at the Same Time”: The New American Cuisine," 29 Mar. 2018
Sony won't allow a controversial game about seducing women on the PlayStation 4's online marketplace, the company said this week.

— kyle orland, Ars Technica, "“Dating coach” game Super Seducer barred from PlayStation 4," 8 Mar. 2018
But to Dreher, these skeptical Americans must be seduced into a love affair with Western culture.

— sarah jones, New Republic, "Rod Dreher’s Race Problem," 25 Jan. 2018
Are there really no safeguards against Trump being seduced by the siren song of flattery?

— aaron blake, Washington Post, "The details of how Michael Wolff penetrated the White House are the most damning of all," 17 Jan. 2018

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

seduce Synonyms

Synonyms

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

Near Antonyms

alert, caution, forewarn, ward (off), warn;

drive (away or off), repulse, turn away;

catch, enmesh (also immesh), ensnare, entrap, mesh, snare, tangle, trap;

bewitch, captivate, charm, enchant, fascinate, magnetize, wile;

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

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

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

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up seduce? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

seduce

Definition of seduce

seducer

Examples of seduce in a Sentence

Recent Examples of seduce from the Web

Origin and Etymology of seduce

seduce Synonyms

Synonyms

Near Antonyms

Related Words

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

Learn More about seduce

Seen and Heard

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games

Can You Use 'Comprised of'?

Trending: DOJ Describes Comey as 'Insubordinate'

Name More Food!

9 Words for Transnational Currencies

Ghost Word