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• come-on
  come-on

  noun

  inducement; lure.
• come on
  come on

  verb

  (of power, a water supply, etc) to become available; start running or functioning

come-on

American  

[kuhm-on, -awn] / ˈkʌmˌɒn, -ˌɔn /

noun

Slang.

• come-ons
  plural

1. inducement; lure.

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come on British  

verb

1. (of power, a water supply, etc) to become available; start running or functioning

2. to make or show progress; develop

   my plants are coming on nicely

3. to advance, esp in battle

4. to begin

   she felt a cold coming on

   a new bowler has come on

5. theatre to make an entrance on stage

6. to be considered, esp in a court of law

7. (preposition) See come upon

8. 1. hurry up!

   2. cheer up! pull yourself together!

   3. make an effort!

   4. don't exaggerate! stick to the facts!

9. to attempt to give a specified impression

   he came on like a hard man

10. to make a forceful or exaggerated impression

11. informal to make sexual advances to

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noun

1. informal anything that serves as a lure or enticement

come on Idioms  

1. Move forward, progress, develop. For example, We stopped as soon as darkness began to come on . [Early 1600s]

2. Hurry up, as in Come on now, it's getting late . This imperative to urge someone forward has been so used since about 1450.

3. Also, come upon . Meet or find unexpectedly, as in We came on him while walking down the street , or I came upon an old friend in the bookstore today . [Second half of 1700s]

4. Make a stage entrance, as in After the next cue she comes on from the right . [Early 1800s]

5. Please oblige me, as in Come on, that's no excuse for leaving , or Come on, you'll really like this restaurant . [ Colloquial ; first half of 1900s]

6. Convey a specific personal image, as in He comes on like a go-getter but he's really rather timid . [ Slang ; c. 1940]

7. Also, come on strong . Behave or speak in an aggressive way, as in Take it easy; you're coming on awfully strong . [c. 1940]

8. Also, come on to . Make sexual advances, as in She reported her boss for coming on to her . This usage probably was derived from the earlier use of the noun come-on for a sexual advance. [ Slang ; 1950s]

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• come-ons
  plural

Etymology

Origin of come-on

1895–1900, noun use of verb phrase come on

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

come-on come on come-ons

But the usual come-on of the cult is that its members are special.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 28, 2026

"Many people, in good faith, misconstrue what I'm saying, and they think I'm trying to do a sort of come-on to the camera. And I really am not," she told food podcast Sporked.

From BBC ● Feb. 14, 2026

“An American in Paris”: “It’s jet-propelled New Year’s Eve and everyone in Paris will be there,” says Gene Kelly to Nina Foch — well, who could resist a come-on like that?

From Seattle Times ● Dec. 30, 2022

This advertising come-on makes you think you are getting a good deal, but you pay for the product and receive the rebate only after the purchase is complete.

From Washington Post ● Sep. 27, 2022

Say raw, or that you're a hick, or a come-on.

From The She Boss A Western Story by Arthur Preston Hankins

I agree that the internet teems with performative outrage, but come on.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026

Sooner or later the pressure's always going to come on.

From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2026

That will come on the heels of the Federal Reserve’s decision, where it could tighten policy for the first time in over three years.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026

But Lincoln Riley, USC’s coach, points more to Mosley’s “unique” preparation as a primary reason for why he’s come on so quickly — and why we’re only just starting to see what he’s capable of.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026

So get in the car and come on to the funeral...unless your name is Peach Shuggars.

From Each Little Bird That Sings by Deborah Wiles

In the wide-open world of grifts and schemes, an overinflated basketball may not rank with identity theft, Facebook come-ons from a Nigerian prince or even a hurried game of three-card monte.

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 18, 2023

Even the blades of windmills bear advertisements and come-ons.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 7, 2021

To preempt such a calamitous outcome, unorthodox come-ons are being trotted out.

From Washington Post ● Jul. 9, 2021

Consulting firms brought their algorithms, and software kept meticulous track of teenagers’ interest in a school by measuring things like how quickly they respond to text-message come-ons.

From New York Times ● Jan. 23, 2021

The jingle of ricksha bells blended with car horns, the come-ons of street peddlers, a woman’s laughter, music from a nearby bar.

From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer

Related Words

• begin
• come across
• take place