tempt

tempt
I
(New American Roget's College Thesaurus)
v. t. entice, cajole, fascinate, lure, decoy, seduce; provoke, defy, incite, appeal, attract. See desire, attraction.
II
(Roget's IV) v.
Syn. lure, entice, fascinate, seduce, appeal to, inveigle, decoy, beguile, induce, intrigue, incite, provoke, allure, charm, captivate, tantalize, draw on, invite, bait, stimulate, move, motivate, rouse, instigate, wheedle, coax, lead on*, make one's mouth water*; see also fascinate , influence , seduce .
Ant. discourage*, repel, dissuade.
Syn.- tempt suggests the influence of a powerful attraction that tends to overcome scruples or judgment [ I'm tempted to accept your offer ] ; lure suggests an irresistible force, as deSire, greed, or curiosity, in attracting someone, often to something harmful or evil [lured on by false hopes ] ; entice implies a crafty or skillful attracting by offering hope of reward or pleasure [ he enticed the squirrel to eat from his hand ] ; inveigle suggests the use of deception or cajolery in enticing someone [ they inveigled him with false promises ] ; decoy implies the use of deceptive appearances in luring into a trap [ artificial birds are used to decoy wild ducks ] ; beguile suggests the use of subtly alluring devices in leading someone on [beguiled by her sweet words ] ; seduce implies enticement to an improper or wrongful act, esp. to loss of chastity
III
(Roget's 3 Superthesaurus) v.
lure, entice, bait, tantalize, seduce, attract, court, *suck in, *hold out a carrot, draw, captivate, bewitch.
ANT.: repulse, repel, turn off
IV
(Roget's Thesaurus II) verb 1. To beguile or draw into a wrong or foolish course of action: allure, entice, inveigle, lure, seduce. Idiom: lead astray. See PERSUASION. 2. To behave so as to bring on (danger, for example): court, invite, provoke. See SEEK.

English dictionary for students. 2013.

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Synonyms:
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Look at other dictionaries:

  • tempt — S3 [tempt] v [T] [Date: 1200 1300; : Old French; Origin: tempter, tenter, from Latin temptare, tentare to feel, try, tempt ] 1.) to try to persuade someone to do something by making it seem attractive tempt sb into doing sth ▪ The new program is… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • tempt — [ tempt ] verb transitive ** 1. ) often passive to make you want to do or have something, especially something that is not good for you: The store windows were lit invitingly, tempting the late shoppers. Do you want another drink? I m tempted. be …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • Tempt — Tempt, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Tempted}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Tempting}.] [OE. tempten, tenten, from OF. tempter, tenter, F. tenter, fr. L. tentare, temptare, to handle, feel, attack, to try, put to the test, urge, freq. from tendere, tentum, and tensum …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • tempt´er — tempt «tehmpt», transitive verb. 1. to make or try to make (a person) do something: »The sight of the food tempted the hungry man to steal. SYNONYM(S): lure, inveigle, decoy. 2. to appeal strongly to; attract: »That candy tempts me. SYNONYM( …   Useful english dictionary

  • tempt — ► VERB 1) entice (someone) to do something against their better judgement. 2) (be tempted to do) have an urge or inclination to do. 3) attract; charm. ● tempt fate (or providence) Cf. ↑tempt providence …   English terms dictionary

  • tempt — interj. = timpt 1: Tame akies mirksnyje tempt jį už apykaklės, jis drioks aukštynelkas TS1904,4(Vaižg) …   Dictionary of the Lithuanian Language

  • tempt — [tempt] vt. [ME tempten < OFr tempter < LL(Ec) temptare < L, to try the strength of, urge < IE * temp : see TEMPER] 1. Archaic to test; try 2. to try to persuade; induce or entice, esp. to something immoral or sensually pleasurable 3 …   English World dictionary

  • tempt — index bait (lure), cajole, coax, entice, entrap, interest, inveigle, lure, motivate …   Law dictionary

  • tempt — (v.) early 13c., from O.Fr. tempter (12c.), from L. temptare to feel, try out, attempt to influence, test. Related: Tempted; tempting in the sense of inviting is from 1590s …   Etymology dictionary

  • tempt — v. allure, entice, tantalize, seduce …   English contemporary dictionary

  • tempt — entice, inveigle, *lure, decoy, seduce Analogous words: allure, *attract: *invite, solicit, court, woo: *induce, persuade, prevail, get …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

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