TEMPT - 10 definitions found
tempt v 1: dispose or incline or entice to; "We were tempted by the delicious-looking food" [syn: tempt, allure] 2: provoke someone to do something through (often false or exaggerated) promises or persuasion; "He lured me into temptation" [syn: entice, lure, tempt] 3: give rise to a desire by being attractive or inviting; "the window displays tempted the shoppers" [syn: tempt, invite] 4: induce into action by using one's charm; "She charmed him into giving her all his money" [syn: charm, influence, tempt] 5: try to seduce 6: try presumptuously; "St. Anthony was tempted in the desert" Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 11th Edition (2003) tempt transitive verb Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French tempter, tenter, from Latin temptare, tentare to feel, try Date: 13th century 1. to entice to do wrong by promise of pleasure or gain 2. a. obsolete to make trial of ; test b. to try presumptuously ; provoke <tempt fate> c. to risk the dangers of 3. a. to induce to do something b. to cause to be strongly inclined <was tempted to call it quits> Synonyms: see lure • temptable adjective Oxford English Reference Dictionary
Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner\'s English Dictionary tempt (tempts, tempting, tempted) 1. Something that tempts you attracts you and makes you want it, even though it may be wrong or harmful. Reducing the income will further impoverish these families and could tempt an offender into further crime... It is the fresh fruit that tempts me at this time of year... Can I tempt you with a little puff pastry?... The fact that she had become wealthy did not tempt her to alter her frugal way of life. VERB: V n into n/-ing, V n, V n with n, V n to-inf 2. If you tempt someone, you offer them something they want in order to encourage them to do what you want them to do. ...a million dollar marketing campaign to tempt American tourists back to Britain... Don't let credit tempt you to buy something you can't afford... She will be offering a package worth about 40 million dollars, to tempt the rebels into agreeing to disarm. VERB: V n prep/adv, V n to-inf, V n into -ing/n 3. see also tempted 4. If someone says that something they say or do is tempting fate or is tempting providence, they mean they are worried that it may cause the good luck they have had so far to end. As soon as you start to talk about never having played on a losing side, it is tempting fate. PHRASE: V inflects English Explanatory Dictionary tempt tempt v.tr. 1 entice or incite (a person) to do a wrong or forbidden thing (tempted him to steal it). 2 allure, attract. 3 risk provoking (esp. an abstract force or power) (would be tempting fate to try it). 4 archaic make trial of; try the resolution of (God did tempt Abraham). øbe tempted to be strongly disposed to (I am tempted to question this). øøtemptable adj. temptability n. [ME f. OF tenter, tempter test f. L temptare handle, test, try] Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) 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, to stretch. See Thin, and cf. Attempt, Tend, Taunt, Tent a pavilion, Tent to probe.] 1. To put to trial; to prove; to test; to try. God did tempt Abraham. --Gen. xxii. 1. Ye shall not tempt the Lord your God. --Deut. vi. 16. 2. To lead, or endeavor to lead, into evil; to entice to what is wrong; to seduce. Every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. --James i. 14. 3. To endeavor to persuade; to induce; to invite; to incite; to provoke; to instigate. Tempt not the brave and needy to despair. --Dryden. Nor tempt the wrath of heaven's avenging Sire. --Pope. 4. To endeavor to accomplish or reach; to attempt. Ere leave be given to tempt the nether skies. --Dryden. Syn: To entice; allure; attract; decoy; seduce. Soule\'s Dictionary of English Synonyms tempt v. a. 1. Try, test, prove, put to trial. 2. Entice (especially to evil), allure, seduce, decoy, induce, inveigle, persuade, prevail upon, draw on, bring over, lure. 3. Incite, instigate, provoke, incline, dispose, prompt, endeavor to persuade, lead. 4. Attempt, venture on, essay, try. English Explanatory Dictionary (Synonyms) tempt tempt v. 1 attract, entice, lure, allure, draw (in), invite, lead on, whet (one's) appetite, seduce, captivate, persuade, coax, cajole: They had a special offer to tempt new customers. 2 lead, induce, persuade, prompt, move, incline, dispose: I would be tempted to resign if they treated me that way. 3 provoke, dare, (put to the) test: I shouldn't tempt Providence if I were you. Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 64 Moby Thesaurus words for "tempt": allure, appeal, attract, bait, be attractive, becharm, beckon, bewitch, bring, cajole, captivate, carry, carry away, charm, coax, court, dare, decide, decoy, determine, dispose, draw in, draw on, enamor, endear, engage, enlist, enrapture, entice, entrap, fascinate, fetch, get to do, hold in thrall, incline, induce, infatuate, inflame with love, influence, interest, interest in, inveigle, invite, lead, lead on, lure, move, persuade, procure, prompt, provoke, rouse, seduce, solicit, summon, sway, tantalize, tease, tickle, titillate, train, vamp, whet the appetite, woo |
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