tempting 1 of 3

adjective

Definition of temptingnext
as in enticing

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tempting

2 of 3

noun

as in seduction

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tempting

3 of 3

verb

present participle of tempt
1
as in luring
to lead away from a usual or proper course by offering some pleasure or advantage that chocolate dessert sure tempts me, but I should stick with my diet

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in risking
to take a chance on refusing to lay in enough food for the long winter tempts the dangers of starvation

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of tempting
Adjective
The pull to stay at his family home in Los Angeles rather than moving to the East Coast was tempting. — CBS News, 29 Sep. 2026 General Daily Insight for September 29, 2026 Reassurance may be tempting, but today asks for something more honest. — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 29 Sep. 2026
Noun
In the same way that Christ fasted to resist the tempting of the biblical adversary, many Christians are also called to fast and give up the temptations of their daily lives during Lent. — Rin Velasco, The Providence Journal, 20 Feb. 2026
Verb
Be honest about what’s irritating or tempting you, because something’s got to give! — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 29 July 2026 As the attacker brings the ball forward, Tielemans, from a screening role, bides his time, tempting the attacker forward before jumping in to win the ball. — Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 13 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for tempting
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tempting
  1. enticing
  2. seduction
  3. luring
  4. risking
  5. tantalizing
  6. exhortation
  7. seducing
  8. alluring
Adjective
  • Tourist attractions abound—from colorful boutique shops to enticing coffee roasters—many housed in the pale-yellow, former government buildings.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2026
  • In another, and a coup for HBO Max unveiled development on an enticing new crime series, to be exec produced by Los Javis at their Madrid manner Suma Content.
    — John Hopewell, Variety, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of enticing
Noun
  • In this seduction, in a text that manages to be both grandiose and intimate, Rice works the mysterious alchemy of creating permanence.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Collections this week were versatile, taking the client from day to evening with a sense of seduction and confidence.
    — Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of seduction
Verb
  • Caruso has been charged with kidnapping, lewd or lascivious molestation, lewd or lascivious exhibition, luring or enticing a child, and child abuse inflicting mental injury.
    — Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 6 Oct. 2026
  • While luring the men into the chapel, Janet was fatally stabbed in the abdomen.
    — Max Gao, HollywoodReporter, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of luring
Verb
  • As her brother Aldwin’s mental health deteriorates, Lil considers risking her future to travel to him.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Critics say the process requires documents that are confusing and difficult to obtain, risking the exclusion of millions of eligible voters.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of risking
Adjective
  • Today, IceCube continues to collect neutrino data, broadening our understanding of the cosmos and presenting the tantalizing chance of observing undreamed-of cosmic events.
    — Robert Lea, Space.com, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Anyone who regularly follows dark matter news knows that past tantalizing anomalies evaporated as more data came in.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of tantalizing
Noun
  • Duckworth also faced backlash from critics who argued that her message was, at best, a series of hollow exhortations to simply try harder and, at worst, an insidious form of victim-blaming that ignored structural inequality.
    — Meghan O’Gieblyn, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2026
  • His character is a severe, hectoring figure; his lessons amount to an exhortation to be as mean as possible when money is concerned.
    — Christopher Cox, Vanity Fair, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of exhortation
Verb
  • Adva Lavie, an OnlyFans model, already is facing criminal charges in Los Angeles County for allegedly seducing and stealing from rich men.
    — Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Still, with more than 40,000 industry jobs lost in the past few years, soundstages and vendor storefronts sitting empty, and lucrative overseas incentives seducing even more production away, things are bleak in town right now.
    — Dominic Patten, Deadline, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of seducing
Adjective
  • Like its agricultural and horticultural counterparts, the monoculture of era-defining music, TV and movies seemed alluring on the surface.
    — Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Rarely exhibited and here remade with another Trans Am as MBD_Trans Am (2026), the piece is paired with an ominous booming sound that is both alluring and repellent.
    — Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of alluring

Browse Nearby Words

tempters
tempting
temptingly
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Cite this Entry

“Tempting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tempting. Accessed 11 Oct. 2026.

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