temptation

noun

temp·​ta·​tion tem(p)-ˈtā-shən 

1

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

2

: something tempting : a cause or occasion of enticement

Synonyms of temptation

• seduction
• lure

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 on the Web

That troubling temptation to treat your phone like a magic portal to a better life finds an ideal personification in Tallulah (Odessa A’zion). —Ben Travers, IndieWire, 30 Oct. 2025

Measure draw lengths before the shopping begins, and help your protégé resist the temptation to pull too much draw weight. —The Editors, Outdoor Life, 30 Oct. 2025

To avoid temptation of a sweet treat, eat a meal or snack before trick-or-treating, the agency says. —Greta Cross, USA Today, 29 Oct. 2025

For a category like hanging clothes, refuse the temptation to buy more hangers when all of your existing ones are occupied. —Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English temptacioun "testing, enticement to sin," borrowed from Anglo-French tentacion, borrowed from Late Latin temptātiōn-, temptātiō "enticement to sin," going back to Latin, "attempt, attack," from temptāre "to feel, test, attempt, make an assault on, attack" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of verbal action — more at tempt

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for temptation

• ablation
• bination
• carnation
• cassation
• castration
• causation
• centration
• cessation
• cetacean
• chelation
• citation
• collation

Kids Definition

temptation

noun

temp·​ta·​tion tem(p)-ˈtā-shən 

1

: the act of tempting : the state of being tempted especially to evil

2

: something tempting