come-on
noun
inducement; lure.
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drone on.
come-on
American
[kuhm-on, -awn]
/ ˈkʌmˌɒn, -ˌɔn /
noun
Slang.
come-ons
plural
come on
British
verb
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(of power, a water supply, etc) to become available; start running or functioning
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to make or show progress; develop
my plants are coming on nicely
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to advance, esp in battle
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to begin
she felt a cold coming on
a new bowler has come on
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theatre to make an entrance on stage
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to be considered, esp in a court of law
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(preposition) See come upon
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hurry up!
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cheer up! pull yourself together!
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make an effort!
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don't exaggerate! stick to the facts!
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to attempt to give a specified impression
he came on like a hard man
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to make a forceful or exaggerated impression
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informal to make sexual advances to
noun
come on
Idioms
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Move forward, progress, develop. For example, We stopped as soon as darkness began to come on . [Early 1600s]
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Hurry up, as in Come on now, it's getting late . This imperative to urge someone forward has been so used since about 1450.
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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]
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Make a stage entrance, as in After the next cue she comes on from the right . [Early 1800s]
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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]
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Convey a specific personal image, as in He comes on like a go-getter but he's really rather timid . [ Slang ; c. 1940]
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Also, come on strong . Behave or speak in an aggressive way, as in Take it easy; you're coming on awfully strong . [c. 1940]
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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]
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of come-on
1895–1900, noun use of verb phrase come on
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:
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
When you use Facebook Messenger these days, a new prompt greets you with this come-on: “Ask Meta AI anything.”
From Los Angeles Times ● May 2, 2024
“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
From the lips of the Mud Turtle, who had silently joined the group, came a come-on verdict.
From Lady Luck by Wiley, Hugh
It doesn’t come on a school-issued bun, nor does it come with the staining might of tomato sauce and ground beef.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
More sulphate processing plants were expected to come on line by the time the ban on lithium concentrate exports comes into force in January 2027, he said.
From Barron's ● Jul. 26, 2026
Argentina will be watching thinking 'thank goodness Saka didn't come on at all and Rashford didn't come on until late'.
From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026
The latest cost-cutting measures come on top of the 50,000 job cuts already negotiated with labor representatives for its namesake brand as well as key subsidiaries including Audi and Porsche.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026
“Interesting that your vitiligo should come on after she died,” Madeline murmurs just as I turn away.
From "How to Disappear Completely" by Ali Standish
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
The complaints against Mr. Cuomo can seem dully familiar in the #MeToo era: another set of stories about awkward come-ons and young women scared of speaking up, this time set in Albany.
From New York Times ● Aug. 7, 2021
To preempt such a calamitous outcome, unorthodox come-ons are being trotted out.
From Washington Post ● Jul. 9, 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
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.
