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:
De Zerbi's sides entice opponents to apply pressure – often through slowing down play and passing the ball backwards.
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026
STOCKHOLM—IKEA is cutting prices by 15%-25% on more than 1,500 products in Europe as it seeks to entice customers that remain under pressure from higher living costs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026
Will the promise of time off for "Grand Theft Auto VI" entice US soldiers to reenlist?
From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026
They also helped entice investors to keep participating in new bond offerings.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 19, 2026
“I’ve thought of trying to entice your brother into it.”
From "The Glass Castle" by Jeannette Walls
A can of worms—its opening both entices and repels.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 13, 2026
That makes it paramount for the company to have a steady stream of content that entices customers to keep paying.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 26, 2025
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
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
The lawsuits, consolidated by a federal court in Northern California, alleged that Apple enticed consumers to overpay for new devices by falsely advertising that certain iPhones included improvements to its virtual assistant, Siri.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026
Authorities enticed companies with comprehensive financial, tax and employment support packages -- some were offered three‑year tax exemptions and 10 years of free rent.
From Barron's ● Aug. 31, 2026
The Prologue appealed to buyers who were used to Honda’s fuel-efficient and hybrid cars and wanted to move on from gasoline entirely—and were enticed by its low-cost lease deals.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 16, 2026
Stokes enticed O'Rourke to miscue and then came a moment of controversy.
From BBC ● Jun. 26, 2026
It was Ahmad’s idea, really—another scheme into which he had enticed his little brother.
From "Zeitoun" by Dave Eggers
BYD and other Chinese automakers have witnessed substantial growth in Europe in recent years thanks to their relatively cheap lineups of vehicles that are enticing local drivers and inflicting pain on domestic carmakers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026
The positions of the full-backs help by enticing narrow opponents to be stretched wider.
From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026
Chattanooga has emerged as one of the South’s most enticing smaller cities.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 25, 2026
Their large presence has proven to be an enticing target for Iran.
From Barron's ● Aug. 25, 2026
Somehow, during the long, bleary-eyed days of 1959, she accepted an offer even more enticing than being invited into the editorial meetings: Jim Johnsons marriage proposal.
From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly
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.
