temptation
Americannoun
-
the act of tempting; enticement or allurement.
- Synonyms:
- inducement, seduction, pull, attraction, lure
-
something that tempts, entices, or allures.
-
the fact or state of being tempted, especially to evil.
-
an instance of this.
-
(initial capital letter) the temptation of Christ by Satan. Matthew 4.
noun
-
the act of tempting or the state of being tempted
-
a person or thing that tempts
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of temptation
First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English temptacion, from Latin temptātiōn- (stem of temptātiō ) “a testing”; see tempt, -ation
Explanation
Temptation is something you want to have or to do, even though you know you shouldn't. That bag of peanut butter cups on top of your fridge might be an example of a temptation. The thing that you want despite knowing it's not good for you — like the cool sneakers you really can't afford — is a temptation. The feeling is also a temptation — so wanting those shoes is temptation. The Latin word temptare, or to taste, is where temptation comes from, which makes a lot of sense when you think of that bag of peanut butter cups calling to you from the kitchen.
Vocabulary lists containing temptation
Bridge to Terabithia
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Brown Girl Dreaming
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A Long Way from Chicago
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Kennedy had come across “Virtual Temptation in Eden” in a weekly art newsletter called “It’s Nice That.”
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 16, 2026
Currently streaming on Netflix, it intensifies the premise of Temptation Island by asking couples to decide whether videos of each other are real or highly convincing AI deepfakes.
From BBC • Feb. 15, 2025
In the New Testament, there's the story of the Temptation of Christ, which centers on Jesus going into the desert to fast for 40 days.
From Salon • Sep. 19, 2023
Bernard Goldberg, founder of the gallery, said he believes that his panel with a snake was originally called Temptation, and the one with a leopard was Animation.
From New York Times • May 7, 2023
Temptation had its way with my companions, and they untied the bag.
From "The Odyssey" by Homer
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
