seduce
Americanverb (used with object)
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to lead astray, as from duty, rectitude, or the like; corrupt.
- Antonyms:
- repel
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to persuade or induce to have sexual intercourse.
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to lead or draw away, as from principles, faith, or allegiance.
He was seduced by the prospect of gain.
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to win over; attract; entice.
a supermarket seducing customers with special sales.
verb
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to persuade to engage in sexual intercourse
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to lead astray, as from the right action
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to win over, attract, or lure
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.
Synonym Usage
See tempt.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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seducernoun
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unseduciblenessnoun
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seduceableadjective
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seducibleadjective
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unseducibleadjective
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seducinglyadverb
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unseduciblyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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seducesimple
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seducessimple
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have seducedperfect
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has seducedperfect
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am seducingprogressive
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are seducingprogressive
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is seducingprogressive
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have been seducingperfect progressive
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has been seducingperfect progressive
Past
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seducedsimple
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had seducedperfect
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was seducingprogressive
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were seducingprogressive
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had been seducingperfect progressive
Future
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.
Vocabulary lists containing seduce
Lead the Way: Duc and Duct
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"Julius Caesar" by William Shakespeare, Act I
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Selection Vocabulary 3, Unit 2
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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:
But in the 1985 novel told from his point of view, he’s reborn as a rock star, emerging from a long, depressive slumber just in time to seduce the MTV generation.
From Salon ● Jun. 13, 2026
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
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
While Putin might not be willing to make concessions on Ukraine, Russia has tried to seduce the U.S. administration into lifting sanctions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 12, 2025
It was about the Angels, to be sure, but I couldn’t tell if Crosby was going to savage us or if the title was a setup designed to seduce viewers before overturning their preconceptions.
From "Confessions of a Murder Suspect" by James Patterson
Danielle Pinnock’s character, a Jamaican woman who is taken to America by a wizened older man she refers to as the “old raisin,” has a brassy boldness and bawdiness that also seduces the audience’s affections.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
"This is a collective success by the whole country that perfectly demonstrates Spain's enormous attractivity, because Spain is a country that seduces the world," he said.
From Barron's ● Jan. 15, 2026
But their testimony alone can’t expose the devil’s bargain of realpolitik, which seduces the unwary with the notion that making others suffer will benefit us.
From Salon ● Nov. 1, 2025
If you are an owner, do not hire someone who seduces you with jargon like financial flexibility, hoards minor leaguers and confuses you into believing “prospect” is synonymous with “minor leaguer.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 23, 2024
Self-love biases the judgment, blinds the understanding, disturbs the reason, seduces the will, corrupts the conscience, closes the gates of life, and acknowledges neither God nor neighbor.
From True Christianity by Arndt, Johann
But Michael is a standard-issue good kid seduced by the lure of the more glamorous bad kids—one of “The Outsiders,” but with fangs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 28, 2026
Del Toro’s “The Shape of Water” starred a boyfriend from the Black Lagoon who seduced voters into awarding it best picture and best director in 2018.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 22, 2026
Madrid has emerged as a coveted global luxury housing destination as Latin American and US investors fuel a real estate boom, seduced by competitive prices and high living standards.
From Barron's ● Jan. 22, 2026
The view of some at senior levels of the New Brunswick government was that the informal working group, seduced by the possibility of a scientific mystery, was circumventing the province.
From BBC ● Jan. 10, 2026
“Do not be seduced by false glamour; do not shirk your duties; do not wander off alone into the Wood at night.”
From "Ash" by Malinda Lo
Instead of singing about seducing women, he talked about empowering them.
From BBC ● Feb. 5, 2026
And although Lewis confirms that there was a female agent on the ground, he notes that she was not, like the movie’s Marjorie, tasked with seducing Nazis.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 19, 2024
Still, one wonders how much better this would be if its makers were more insistent on seducing the audience with humor instead of searching for ways to dance around it.
From Salon ● Feb. 2, 2024
“Everyday Play: A Campaign Against Boredom” from London design press Redstone has lately been seducing customers from its place of pride by the front door.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 22, 2023
I can’t imagine it seducing anything but a fruit fly.
From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood
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.
