Synonyms

entice

American

[en-tahys] / ɛnˈtaɪs /

verb (used with object)

to lead on by exciting hope or desire; allure; inveigle.

They were enticed westward by dreams of gold.

Synonyms:

tempt, decoy, attract, lure

Antonyms:

repel

entice British

/ ɪnˈtaɪs /

verb

(tr) to attract or draw towards oneself by exciting hope or desire; tempt; allure

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

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.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing entice

Nothing But the Truth

Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!

100 SAT Words Beginning with "E"

Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!

And Then There Were None

Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!

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.

Daniel Sotiroff, Morningstar’s associate director of ETF and passive-strategies research, said that leveraged ETFs may entice individual investors to gamble and that they’ll end up with big losses if their bets go the wrong way.

From MarketWatch • Jul. 9, 2026

It would entice developing nations to align with the U.S. rather than accept Chinese infrastructure deals.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 9, 2026

Electronic music helped entice fans into downtown’s revitalization in the 2000s.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 8, 2026

England passed the ball back to Jordan Pickford to entice Croatian pressure.

From BBC • Jun. 22, 2026

“Before you go, Antain. Why don’t you do us a favor, since we cannot entice you to apply your clever hands to the making of beautiful things, no matter how many times we ask?”

From "The Girl Who Drank the Moon" by Kelly Barnhill

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023