seduce

American  

[si-doos, -dyoos] / sɪˈdus, -ˈdyus /

verb (used with object)

seduced, seducing

1. to lead astray, as from duty, rectitude, or the like; corrupt.

   Synonyms:

   deceive, lure, allure, decoy, inveigle, beguile

   Antonyms:

   repel

2. to persuade or induce to have sexual intercourse.

3. to lead or draw away, as from principles, faith, or allegiance.

   He was seduced by the prospect of gain.

4. to win over; attract; entice.

   a supermarket seducing customers with special sales.

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seduce British  

/ sɪˈdjuːs /

verb

1. to persuade to engage in sexual intercourse

2. to lead astray, as from the right action

3. to win over, attract, or lure

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Usage

What does seduce mean? To seduce someone is to make them want to engage in sexual activity with you, especially in a subtle or manipulative way. Seduce is also commonly used in a more general way meaning to tempt or influence someone to do something, especially something bad or something they wouldn’t normally do. Though this sense of the word does not involve sex, it’s still often thought of as a metaphor for the type of seducing that does. Both senses of the word often imply a subtle manipulation in which one’s motives are hidden. People or things that seduce are said to be seductive. The act of seducing is called seduction. Example: They’re going to try to seduce you with flattery and a fancy dinner, but try to focus on the terms of the deal before you make your decision.

Related Words

See tempt.

Other Word Forms

• seduceable adjective
• seducer noun
• seducible adjective
• seducingly adverb
• unseducible adjective
• unseducibleness noun
• unseducibly adverb

Etymology

Origin of seduce

First recorded in 1470–80; from Latin sēdūcere “to lead aside,” equivalent to sē- se- + dūcere “to lead”; replacing earlier seduise, from Middle French, from Latin, as above

Explanation

To seduce is to lure or entice, particularly away from obligations or proper behavior. A gorgeous day could seduce you from doing your homework. Seduce means something close to attract, beguile, tempt, and mislead. The word often has romantic overtones, but it doesn't have to: a clever criminal could seduce someone into a life of crime. When you're being seduced, it implies you're being tricked a little bit, often into something that's enticing but not so good.

Example Sentences

While the first four days are for the industry only, the weekend and Monday are open to the public, with organisers seeking to seduce a new generation of younger buyers.

From Barron's • Apr. 14, 2026

HBO had already spent a mint trying to seduce viewers with its glamorous vision of antiquity.

From Salon • Dec. 7, 2025

I also have questions for you about conscious or unconscious bias: What actual evidence do you have that this woman is trying to seduce your father?

From MarketWatch • Dec. 1, 2025

Predictably, there’s a storm of fascination around Cignetti, and the snotty assumption that some bumbling Goliath like Penn State or Florida State will helicopter in with a Godfather offer and seduce the Hoosier coach.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 13, 2025

At first Baby Kochamma tried to seduce Father Mulligan with weekly exhibitions of staged charity.

From "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy

Related Words

• beguile
• betray
• deceive
• delude
• entice
• persuade