tempting 1 of 3

adjective

Definition of temptingnext
as in enticing

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

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
When all eyes are on you, positioning your organization as unquestionably ahead of the curve can be tempting. — Rochelle Blease, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026 High mountain elevations that were once cool and less hospitable for avocado growing are getting hotter—and thus more tempting for felling. — Vann R. Newkirk Ii, The Atlantic, 28 July 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
Extreme heat, tempting open bodies of water and outdoor critters can all prove deadly. — Brittney Melton, NPR, 9 July 2026 While many dangerous plants are unlikely to appear in a flower garden, there are some weeds that produce beautiful flowers and tempting berries that may look right at home next to your camellias, but are downright deadly. — Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 4 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
  • All of that and more makes for an enticing season ahead, and a lot to wonder about, with the 2026 Chiefs … and their capacity to add more luster to Arrowhead’s legacy in its twilight years.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 16 Aug. 2026
  • That is, which is most accurate, clear, on-brand, and enticing?
    — Chris Morocco, Bon Appetit Magazine, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of enticing
Noun
  • Several symbolic scenes, similarly unfolding in sinuous long takes—a ritualistic repetition of local habits at the junk yard, a formal dance of non-seduction at a luncheonette with a jukebox—lay bare the town’s ingrained and unyielding mores.
    — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Some Venus signs prefer seduction through mystery and minimalism, while others enjoy eccentricity or perhaps even maximalism.
    — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of seduction
Verb
  • Bay Head Mayor Bill Curtis told ABC News that some fishermen have used drones to drop bait in the water, and that bait could theoretically float closer to shore in bathing areas, luring in sharks and putting recreational swimmers at risk.
    — Mason Leib, ABC News, 10 Aug. 2026
  • When Vermeil soon thereafter retired again, Stiles rejoined the Chiefs … and became instrumental in luring Vermeil to Kansas City.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of luring
Verb
  • The shortage of rain across much of Europe is taxing water supplies and risking new wildfires.
    — Ned Temko, Christian Science Monitor, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Preparing him to return properly to a competitive rhythm without risking injury will take time.
    — Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of risking
Adjective
  • Burlington Central’s Tobi Oduwa entered high school as a raw prospect with tantalizing physical abilities.
    — Paul Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Future James Bond collaborations between the brands remain a tantalizing possibility.
    — Carol Besler, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of tantalizing
Noun
  • The faith leader’s exhortation shows the depth of the divide in the Moskowitz-Larkin contest.
    — Anthony Man, Sun Sentinel, 6 Aug. 2026
  • While his exhortation left off Brady’s signature profane intensifier, the motivational gambit remained explicit even in the absence of the familiar F-bomb.
    — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 31 July 2026
Definition of exhortation
Verb
  • 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
  • The young women acted as underground assassins, seducing Nazi officers, luring them into the woods and killing them.
    — Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 28 July 2026
Definition of seducing
Adjective
  • Urgessa is known for his alluring figurative paintings that feature various Black figures often in enigmatic poses and spaces.
    — Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Caglianone should take advantage of his matchup against a homer-prone and fly-ball pitcher by launching a home run tonight and cash in for bettors who take advantage of his alluring +489 odds to hit a home run.
    — Josh Shepardson, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of alluring

Browse Nearby Words

tempters
tempting
temptingly
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tempting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tempting. Accessed 20 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on tempting

Nglish: Translation of tempting for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of divulge

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Is “GIF” Pronounced “Jiff” or “Giff”?

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All