entice
Americanverb (used with object)
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entices,
present (3rd person singular)
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enticed,
past participle, past
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enticing
present participle
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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enticementnoun
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enticernoun
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enticingnessnoun
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enticingadjective
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unenticedadjective
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enticinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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enticesimple
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enticessimple
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have enticedperfect
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has enticedperfect
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am enticingprogressive
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are enticingprogressive
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is enticingprogressive
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have been enticingperfect progressive
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has been enticingperfect progressive
Past
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enticedsimple
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had enticedperfect
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was enticingprogressive
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were enticingprogressive
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had been enticingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of entice
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English enticen, from Old French enticier “to incite,” from unattested Vulgar Latin intitiāre, equivalent to Latin in- in- 2 + -titiāre, verbal derivative of unattested titius, for titiō “piece of burning wood”
Explanation
Let's say your friend wants to go to the movies and you don't want to. Your friend might try to entice you by offering to buy you popcorn and a soda. Entice means to persuade with promises of something. The word entice means to lure or tempt someone by promising them something that they like. It is a little manipulative but in a fairly straightforward way. You always know it when someone is enticing you. If a company really wants to hire you, they will entice you with a good salary and generous benefits. The promise of a gold star is often enough to entice small children to get good grades.
Vocabulary lists containing entice
Nothing But the Truth
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "E"
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And Then There Were None
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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.
See Examples For:
Tying that experience to the new “Smugglers Gambit” game in “Fortnite” also can help entice players to become new visitors to the company’s theme parks, as well as keep fans engaged.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026
But given that it does not even have a proper promotional poster, cinema staff have resorted to drawing their own posters to entice audiences to watch.
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
It gives the firms recruiting muscle; Kirkland has opened offices in Nashville, Tenn., and Salt Lake City to entice new partners.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
Now, the Hollywood star is looking to entice a buyer by further reducing the price of the property to $4.85 million.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 15, 2026
We entice it in and give it something to eat.
From "All Quiet on the Western Front: A Novel" by Erich Maria Remarque
The result, the author concludes, “is in many ways a blend of prose and poetry. He writes with a lyrical flair that entices the reader to read aloud and almost sing the story being told.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 22, 2026
He argued they include private exchanges with lawyers, details about policy-making decisions and information that would reveal how the state entices companies to invest here.
From Salon ● Jul. 14, 2025
Influencer marketing is just one piece of what entices people to buy clothes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 30, 2024
Other scientific evidence shows that synchronous male behavior entices groups of females, Hensley said.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 30, 2023
It’s this weakness, whatever it is, that entices me.
From "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood
Ma was enticed by a promise of quick returns and encouraged by what seemed like trappings of success, he said in an interview: Nguyen wore Chanel sunglasses, dressed in designer clothes and drove a Tesla.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026
In those early days after the Revolutionary War and well into the 21st Century, what became known as the Dream enticed millions of immigrants to this shiny new nation full of hope, optimism and individualism.
From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026
Wall Street firms have enticed retail investors into buying into the IPO — Fidelity, for example, reduced the minimum account balance allowing clients to buy into an IPO from $100,000-$500,000 to $2,000.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 16, 2026
Many of their customers enticed by consultants will stop paying full price when the financial incentives are gone.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 1, 2026
Marlene had to be enticed away from her hay—and that was not easy—but Karli managed it with a few tempting potatoes.
From "An Elephant in the Garden" by Michael Morpurgo
They might be poseurs tossing around references to Ginsberg and Bukowski, but the welcome mat the group offers Ed is enticing and inspiring.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
There are a few other factors that make his offer extra enticing.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 17, 2026
New programs offering mentorship, networking and sometimes free housing are enticing more top-performing students to join the AI race in San Francisco.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026
Not because they are especially impressed by where Williams are, even if the team insist progress is being made across the board, but because their options elsewhere are not that enticing.
From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2026
I’m usually up for an adventure, and I’m bored, too, but the idea of being all wet and cold is not at all enticing.
From "I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter" by Erika L. Sánchez
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.
