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 scoring potential in this game may be tempting, but Loveland is difficult to trust until his role becomes more consistent. — Jonathan Rubin, Charlotte Observer, 14 Oct. 2026 There's another tempting reason to watch the Taurids in 2026 — moonlight will cause little interference around the main peaks. — Jamie Carter, Space.com, 12 Oct. 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
Others tried to widen their gaze to make sure their eyes would be open as the camera clicked, though the afternoon sun was tempting us to squint. — Danny Heitman, Christian Science Monitor, 31 July 2026 Be honest about what’s irritating or tempting you, because something’s got to give! — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 29 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
  • Another enticing element to this year’s Fall Classic is that neither the Brewers nor the Rays have ever captured a title.
    — Jaclyn Hendricks, PEOPLE, 23 Oct. 2026
  • But if the other two deals look more enticing, don't worry—this deal stacks with both the Simplicity Plan and myPlan promotions above.
    — Kelsey Fogarty, PC Magazine, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of enticing
Noun
  • Talk about the seduction of the music industry, and how you guys tried to approach that.
    — Angel Diaz, Billboard, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Neill performed the same From Russia With Love seduction scene Brolin had tackled four years earlier.
    — Benjamin Svetkey, HollywoodReporter, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of seduction
Verb
  • For film, the roadmap covers support for luring large-scale location shoots, backing for international co-productions built on Japanese IP and tougher anti-piracy measures.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 27 Oct. 2026
  • While the paydays are still well short of those in the men’s league, clubs are luring foreign players with tax-free salaries and expat perks.
    — semafor.com, semafor.com, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of luring
Verb
  • Another potential rate increase would mean pressing the brakes harder on the economy, in turn risking sluggish growth and risk slowing the job market further.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Some are risking the perilous trip through the Bab-al-Mandeb strait.
    — David Goldman, CNN Money, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of risking
Adjective
  • At the heart of this movie is a tantalizing hint of an exasperation that’s not just that of a teenager, but of a generation.
    — Alison Willmore, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Unexpectedly bright colors in Samaan’s apartment, with its views over Cairo, offer tantalizing prospects of a better tomorrow which fail to arrive.
    — Jay Weissberg, Variety, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of tantalizing
Noun
  • The speech would end with an exhortation for Congress to pass the SAVE America Act, a bill requiring voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship to register, which Mitchell had helped draft.
    — Doug Bock Clark, ProPublica, 28 Oct. 2026
  • 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
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
  • Rather than treating the tip of South America as a holding pen, Silversea has reimagined it as an alluring and deeply atmospheric destination in its own right.
    — Liam Hess, Vogue, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Through stoicism, Nighthawks spins the dark side of American life as cool; its quiet menace is slick and alluring, and its lonesome, shadowy characters are iconic.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of alluring

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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 1 Nov. 2026.

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