- present participle of invite.
inviting
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of inviting
Explanation
Inviting things are very appealing. Your host's inviting smile makes you truly feel welcomed and even a little bit charmed. On a hot summer day, nothing looks quite as inviting as a cool, sparkling swimming pool, and when you come inside after walking home in the snow, a cozy fire in the wood stove is also quite inviting. Something inviting promises comfort or pleasure. The word comes from invitation, from the Latin invitare, "invite, treat, or entertain," which originally meant "be pleasant toward."
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.
She was inviting us into her figurative and literal home — the tour bus she resided in for over a decade, with an overzealous guide to boot.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026
Lloyd believes scent is a "simple but powerful way to make a home feel inviting".
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
"She certainly found a way to preserve her artistic vision while also inviting people to continue to be a part of her legacy," Tallon said.
From Barron's ● Aug. 26, 2026
During her first appearance on “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson” in 1977, the host got huge guffaws from his studio audience by inviting Parton to “Sit down and take a load off your feet.”
From Salon ● Aug. 26, 2026
He hated any interaction with the police, but now he was inviting them into his life in a way that seemed absurd.
From "Anger Is a Gift" by Mark Oshiro
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.
