seductive

[si-duhk-tiv]

adjective

1. tending to seduce; enticing; beguiling; captivating.

   a seductive smile.

   Synonyms: alluring, tempting
   Antonyms: repellent

seductive

/ sɪˈdʌktɪv /

adjective

1. tending to seduce or capable of seducing; enticing; alluring

Other Word Forms

• seductively adverb
• seductiveness noun
• unseductive adjective
• unseductively adverb
• unseductiveness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of seductive¹

First recorded in 1755–65; seduct(ion) + -ive

Example Sentences

The residence, known as the Dr. Robert H. Sutton Bungalow, is a great example of what makes Craftsman architecture so seductive to so many.

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By contrast, “Shadow Ticket” offers a wildly seductive overture, a companionable but occasionally slack midsection, and a haunting sucker punch of an ending.

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Her excitement is not so much contagious as it is seductive.

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Jay Roach’s champagne-fizzy “The Roses” is a seductive attempt to lure them back into theaters.

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All these libtard delusions or abstractions may or may not involve a global conspiracy of baby-eating celebrities — such theories are seductive, but not mandatory — but whatever.

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Related Words

• attractive 
• captivating 
• charming 
• enticing 
• fascinating 
• flirtatious 
• inviting 
• irresistible 
• provocative 
• tempting 

When To Use

What does seductive mean?

Seductive is used to describe someone who makes you want to engage in sexual activity with them, especially in a subtle or manipulative way.Seductive is also commonly used in a more general way to describe someone or something that tempts or influences someone to do something, especially something bad or something they wouldn’t normally do. Though this meaning of the word does not involve sex, it’s still often associated with the sense of the word that does.Both senses of the word often imply a subtle manipulation in which one’s motives are hidden.Seductive is the adjective form of the verb seduce. The act of seducing is called seduction.Example: There’s nothing I find more seductive in a person than the confidence to be who they are.