enticing

American

[en-tahy-sing] / ɛnˈtaɪ sɪŋ /

adjective

attractive; alluring.

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

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

enticingly adverb
enticingness noun
nonenticing adjective
nonenticingly adverb
unenticing adjective

Etymology

Origin of enticing

entic(e) ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. )

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.

Utilities remain 6% cheaper than the overall index, a slightly less enticing discount than the 8% gap over the past decade.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026

However, the prospect of leading Wales at Euro 2028 – which they will co-host with England, Scotland and the Republic of Ireland – is so enticing that Bellamy feels he cannot walk away yet.

From BBC • Mar. 23, 2026

While her management experience is in larger, historic venues, the chance to build something from scratch with an artist’s insight was enticing.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 5, 2026

Absent any shocks to Treasury yields or mortgage-backed securities, a rate near 6% could look enticing enough for buyers to re-enter the market this year.

From Barron's • Feb. 17, 2026

These guavas are large and juicy, almost seedless, their roundness enticing you to have one more, just one more, because next year the rains may not come.

From "When I Was Puerto Rican" by Esmeralda Santiago

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