tempted

verb

past tense of tempt
1
as in lured
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in risked
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 tempted As digital products become more capable and feature-rich, teams may be tempted to simplify interfaces by hiding controls, reducing context or removing steps that seem unnecessary. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026 Be aware of the restrictions of the Moon Alert today and avoid spending (except for food and gas), because you will be tempted to do so with three planets in your Money House. — Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 10 Aug. 2026 Pull any weeds from the mulch around a tree by hand, so no one is tempted to use a string trimmer against them and risk damaging the bark. — Beth Botts, Chicago Tribune, 9 Aug. 2026 You might be tempted to just throw everything out and start with a clean slate! — Louise Parks, Martha Stewart, 8 Aug. 2026 Although you’ll be tempted to crowd the pan, restrain yourself. — Jasmine Smith, Southern Living, 7 Aug. 2026 The bottom line Savers with $40,000 in their bank account may be tempted to invest in stocks, bonds or real estate right now. — Matt Richardson, CBS News, 5 Aug. 2026 With 20 colors to choose from, you might be tempted to grab more than one before your next trip. — Rosie Marder, Travel + Leisure, 3 Aug. 2026 And that, in turn, is shaping the response of more mainstream governments, which for the last decade have been fending off those challenges and trying to appeal to voters tempted by populist alternatives. — Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 3 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tempted
  1. lured
  2. risked
  3. seduced
  4. ventured
  5. enticed
  6. persuaded
Verb
  • According to court records, Conahan, an unemployed nurse, lured Montgomery into the woods in northern Charlotte County to take nude bondage photos.
    — CBS Miami Team, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026
  • After being publicly humiliated by Daemon Targaryen and lured to switch sides (with his dragon) to the Greens by Ormund Hightower, party animal Ulf is still drunk and MIA when the battle starts.
    — Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of lured
Verb
  • Curators and archaeologists risked their lives to hide and protect Syria’s cultural treasures during its civil war.
    — Emily Feng, NPR, 10 Aug. 2026
  • The 46-year veteran of drug development was first contacted four years ago by a high-net-worth individual with polycystic kidney disease that risked tipping over into chronic renal failure.
    — Mark Ellwood, Robb Report, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of risked
Verb
  • Blowing Oleksa’s cover would mean publicly admitting that there are five senators on her asset list — one of whom was seduced into posing for some, uh, compromising photographs.
    — Andy Andersen, Vulture, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Nevertheless, don’t be seduced by someone else (or even yourself), because things are not clear today.
    — Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of seduced
Verb
  • Others transformed astronomy, revealed hidden worlds across the Solar System, or even ventured beyond the Sun’s influence.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 9 Aug. 2026
  • At a nearly empty barber shop in Salisbury, a Haitian on TPS ventured in for a haircut.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of ventured
Verb
  • Ryninks was delighted to have enticed such a high calibre of Welsh talent aboard this small indie.
    — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Rebecca and Keeley Jones (Juno Temple) have enticed Ted back to England from Kansas to coach their new women’s team, a motley group of players desperately in need of Ted’s guidance.
    — Emily Zemler, Los Angeles Times, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of enticed
Verb
  • Paramount was among the companies that persuaded the state to make film credits refundable starting last year.
    — Gene Maddaus, Variety, 14 Aug. 2026
  • For one, primary elections often have many more undecided voters, and people pay much less attention to the races — meaning those who have not made up their minds headed into election day can be easily persuaded.
    — Elizabeth Robinson, NBC news, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of persuaded

Browse Nearby Words

temptations
tempted
tempter
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tempted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tempted. Accessed 17 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of tempted for Spanish Speakers

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