temptation

noun temp·ta·tion \ tem(p)-ˈtā-shən \

|Updated on: 6 Aug 2018

Examples: temptation in a Sentence

Definition of temptation

1 : the act of tempting or the state of being tempted especially to evil : enticement

2 : something tempting : a cause or occasion of enticement

See temptation defined for English-language learners

See temptation defined for kids

Examples of temptation in a Sentence

Money is always a temptation.
The dessert menu has a lot of delicious temptations.
the temptations of the city

Recent Examples of temptation from the Web

Eventually, however, Meghan and Prince Harry fully gave into temptation and gave us some arguably PG-rated PDA, thank God: Blamo!

— lisa ryan, The Cut, "Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Give Us What We Want," 10 July 2018
Filmed in the untamed expanse of Joshua Tree in California, the pair embody the song’s thematic struggle to maintain a sense of self amid a world of temptations with a vivacious flare and kaleidoscopic visuals.

— bryan kress, Billboard, "In The Valley Below Announce New Album & Release 'Desperate Dance' Video: Exclusive," 10 July 2018
The smell of sweet temptation 🍒 KIMOJI CHERRY includes notes of juicy red cherry, luscious raspberry, sweet strawberry, cherry blossom, gardenia petals, vanilla, woods and musk.

— jenna rosenstein, Harper's BAZAAR, "Kim Kardashian Is Dropping Three New Perfumes Inspired By Her Kimojis," 9 July 2018
The force must also resist the temptation to chase after a shiny new thing so doggedly that other threats fall off the radar.

— joe pappalardo, Popular Mechanics, "5 Space Forces From Sci-Fi and What We Can Learn From Them," 6 July 2018
Or Eve in the garden of Eden, offering the apple of temptation.

— sidney lawrence, WSJ, "A Muse Embedded in Mystery," 22 June 2018
New York Knicks The Knicks resisted the temptation to snag Porter Jr. at No. 9 and took Kevin Knox — a versatile wing out of Kentucky who’s still developing.

— michael singer, USA TODAY, "Biggest winners and losers of 2018 NBA draft," 22 June 2018
As Quartz’s Sarah Todd reports, the positive outcomes exhibited by those who resisted temptation included higher SAT scores and lower body mass index.

— meilan solly, Smithsonian, "Why Delayed Gratification in the Marshmallow Test Doesn’t Equal Success," 6 June 2018
Still, Killing Eve cleverly resists the temptation to foreground the possibility of Villanelle’s redemption.

— hannah giorgis, The Atlantic, "Killing Eve and the Riddle of Why Women Kill," 28 May 2018

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

First Known Use of temptation

13th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

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temptation Synonyms

TEMPTATION Defined for English Language Learners

temptation

noun

Definition of temptation for English Language Learners

: a strong urge or desire to have or do something
: something that causes a strong urge or desire to have or do something and especially something that is bad, wrong, or unwise