enticing

American  

[en-tahy-sing] / ɛnˈtaɪ sɪŋ /

adjective

1. attractive; alluring.

   The enticing aroma of cinnamon and cloves wafts from the kitchen.

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Usage

What does enticing mean? Enticing means having the effect of attracting, tempting, or drawing people in. Things that are described as enticing produce desire or attraction. The word is especially used to describe things that appeal to the senses. But something can be enticing for other reasons, as in The job offer was enticing due to the big salary increase, but I didn’t think the work would be fulfilling. The adjective enticing comes from the continuous tense (-ing form) of the verb entice, meaning to attract, allure, or tempt. (Entice is sometimes confused with the verb incite, which means to encourage, urge, prompt, or provoke someone to do something, especially something bad. Incite is usually used more negatively than entice.)Something that’s described as enticing is viewed as positive and desirous by the person whom it has enticed, but the word itself sometimes implies that such a thing serves to tempt people to do something that perhaps they shouldn’t, as in That chocolate is enticing, but I vowed to give up sweets for a while. Example: The enticing aroma of the roasted nuts draws people to the street cart.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• unenticing
  adjective
• nonenticingly
  adverb
• enticingly
  adverb
• nonenticing
  adjective
• enticingness
  noun

Etymology

Origin of enticing

entic(e) ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. )

Explanation

Something enticing is exciting and intriguing. Enticing things are tempting and make you want to have them. When a thing is enticing, it's kind of like it's saying "You want this, don't you? Yes you do!" The goal of almost all advertising is to be enticing — to try to entice you to buy the product. Any small glimpse or snippet of something that you like is probably enticing. Menus are another thing that are supposed to be enticing — you should want to order the food. If a movie trailer isn't enticing, then it didn't do its job.

Example Sentences

Given recent dire warnings of late about artificial intelligence rendering many jobs obsolete, the offer looks particularly enticing.

From Barron's • May 21, 2026

For governments across the region, the continuing growth of the sector offers an enticing path towards economic growth and development.

From BBC • May 20, 2026

For his part, Bell found the “nihilism” in Niall, a man desperately running from his true self and living in Ruben’s shadow, an enticing and complex character to play.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 23, 2026

Travel is great, and I love patronizing restaurants opened by immigrant chefs who send enticing smells and savory dishes out of their kitchens.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

There were no views of the moon or the peninsula of powdery sand from the gambling rooms, only the lights of the chandeliers enticing them to stay.

From "Dreaming in Cuban" by Cristina García

Related Words

• alluring
• appealing
• captivating
• desirable
• engaging
• fascinating
• inviting
• tempting