- present participle of tempt.
tempting
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of tempting
Explanation
Anything that's tempting makes you excited or interested, like a tempting chocolate doughnut or a tempting offer to go to the movies instead of doing your chores. An invitation or offer that intrigues you is tempting—even if it might ultimately be a bad idea. It's tempting to skip school and spend the afternoon at the beach, but it's wiser to avoid the temptation. People commonly describe food they feel is bad for them as tempting. This sense of something that's both harmful and attractive comes from the original meaning of tempt, "entice to evil or sin."
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.
Holly: Calvert-Lewin comes in at a tempting price point following his 14 goals and two assists last season and he is being backed by around a quarter of fantasy managers.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
It’s a bit of a balancing act, though, because it’s got to be tempting to get a look at the offense of coordinator Mike McDaniel outside the structure of a practice.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
It’s tempting to dismiss the latest hot summer fad as the product of a postadolescent psychopathology.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026
Although the comparison is tempting, this era of government intervention is starkly different.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 5, 2026
It is tempting to assume, therefore, that Eratosthenes rose from humble origins.
From "Circumference" by Nicholas Nicastro
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.
