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tempting 1 of 3

adjective

Definition of temptingnext
as in enticing

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tempting

2 of 3

noun

as in seduction

Related Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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
There are plenty of dishes unique to Palm Beach, too—crudos, handmade pastas, lobster salad, and a particularly tempting dessert list—but the Riviera influence is unmistakable. — Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 4 Sep. 2026 Some of the sale’s most tempting finds are styles that shoppers may recognize from last month’s Anniversary Sale, now available at even deeper discounts. — Camila Quimper, Footwear News, 4 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
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 Extreme heat, tempting open bodies of water and outdoor critters can all prove deadly. — Brittney Melton, NPR, 9 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
  • The Bottom Line​ AI is certainly an ever-present and enticing technology bandage, but the real competitive advantage does not lie in gobbling up every possible use case.
    — Robbie Morrison, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2026
  • The Circle Tour links galleries, orchards, lighthouses, state parks, shops, and, yes, those famous fish boils, whose roaring fires and steaming potatoes are extra enticing on chilly fall nights.
    — Hannah Agran, Midwest Living, 12 Sep. 2026
Definition of enticing
Noun
  • In the darkness of Recife’s mangroves, a young man’s search for desire leads him into a world where seduction and violence become impossible to escape.
    — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 16 Sep. 2026
  • So, imagine what happens when the planet of love, seduction and relationship dynamics transits Scorpio’s Plutonian territory.
    — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of seduction
Verb
  • The words themselves feel poetic, almost decadent, but the images are robbed of their power to meet them, as each frame feels aimed only at presenting, rather than luring or excavating.
    — Siddhant Adlakha, IndieWire, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Using that relationship, Epstein had posed as a talent scout for the brand, luring young women to his hotel room under the pretext of auditions.
    — Jennifer Wilson, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of luring
Verb
  • The other has been hidden by banning media coverage, so the world has seen nothing but cell phone videos made by Palestinian journalists risking their lives to record them.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 Sep. 2026
  • That comes as oil prices have already risen sharply due to the Middle East conflict, risking higher energy costs, weaker currencies and elevated interest rates combined for some economies.
    — Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of risking
Adjective
  • Mitchell also spoke of the tantalizing defensive possibilities with a roster featuring Antetokounmpo, Bam Adebayo, Andrew Wiggins and himself.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 18 Sep. 2026
  • This has told them that 3I/ATLAS contains more nitrogen than the typical comet from our own solar system — revealing a tantalizing clue about how the strange comet formed.
    — Rahul Rao, Space.com, 14 Sep. 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
  • Upstairs, Lila and Amisha are discussing potential targets for their follow-up attack, singling out the Betsy Ross Bridge as an alluring option.
    — Chris Klimek, Vulture, 16 Sep. 2026
  • An enigmatic and alluring university professor (Moss) with a thing for younger men is among the local suspects, who begin to seem connected.
    — Jennie Punter, Variety, 14 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 20 Sep. 2026.

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