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

• 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

This means creating a budget and sticking to it, committing to savings and investments, and resisting the temptation to spend on impulse. —True Tamplin, Forbes.com, 24 Aug. 2025

The temptation toward excess automation has always been with us. —David Autor, The Atlantic, 24 Aug. 2025

The temptation to fill the walls is something that production designers going for period accuracy have to fight against. —Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 22 Aug. 2025

The ring’s lack of a screen, requiring you to look at the phone app, has its obvious drawbacks but can also reduce the temptation to fixate on your results. —Larry Magid, Mercury News, 22 Aug. 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