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:
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
Tying that experience to the new “Smugglers Gambit” game in “Fortnite” also can help entice players to become new visitors to the company’s theme parks, as well as keep fans engaged.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026
Egypt is poised for further growth, while demand for trips to Turkey rebounded after hotels cut prices to entice budget-conscious tourists, he added.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
Each day Brannon ran three miles, worked out on the punching bag in the gym, and boxed a few rounds with anyone he could insult or entice into the ring with him.
From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy
Perched on a bluff near the Gulf of Mexico, Clearwater entices millions each year with its sugary-white beach and turquoise waters.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 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
It was the unique tone and approach that ultimately enticed her to take a chance.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 28, 2026
"If you see me and Chris doing it, and the videos get millions of views, then obviously a lot of other content creators are enticed to make their own video about it as well."
From BBC ● May 22, 2026
Private-equity firms, enticed by promised returns, might demand rapid rollouts of AI products, rather than ensuring their orderly and safe development.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 1, 2026
Viral posts of an Australian street dubbed the country's "most beautiful" have enticed coachloads of visitors to a picturesque seaside town -- and locals have had enough of it.
From Barron's ● Apr. 30, 2026
The lord of the dark underworld, the king of the multitudinous dead, carried her off when, enticed by the wondrous bloom of the narcissus, she strayed too far from her companions.
From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton
I think it’s also worth exploring why such attacks continue to be so enticing – and so effective.
From Salon ● Aug. 23, 2026
They might be poseurs tossing around references to Ginsberg and Bukowski, but the welcome mat the group offers Ed is enticing and inspiring.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
But new listeners may also find its gorgeous gloom enticing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
Such are the enticing promises of peptides, an increasingly buzzy class of substances touted by influencers and celebrities as the key to an optimized life.
From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026
The horse would take a step forward and then a step back, as if he could scent something enticing in the warm air of the spring evening but could not tell what the scent was.
From "Norse Mythology" by Neil Gaiman
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.
