seductive

[si-duhk-tiv]

adjective

1. tending to seduce; enticing; beguiling; captivating.

   a seductive smile.

   Synonyms: alluring, tempting
   Antonyms: repellent

seductive

/ sɪˈdʌktɪv /

adjective

1. tending to seduce or capable of seducing; enticing; alluring

Other Word Forms

• seductiveness noun
• seductively adverb
• unseductive adjective
• unseductively adverb
• unseductiveness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of seductive¹

First recorded in 1755–65; seduct(ion) + -ive

Example Sentences

In The Rose Field, the Magisterium is waging war on imagination, which it calls a false, seductive and dangerous doctrine.

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Many of Monet’s artist friends, including James McNeill Whistler, John Singer Sargent and Édouard Manet, had succumbed to La Serenissima’s seductive light and glittering water, but Monet seemed resistant.

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As Taylor Swift’s latest record brings scrutiny to the construction and thematics of pop music and its presentation, Wolf Alice’s seductive sway and wistful grit feels comparatively effortless, even if it’s just as accessible.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The residence, known as the Dr. Robert H. Sutton Bungalow, is a great example of what makes Craftsman architecture so seductive to so many.

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By contrast, “Shadow Ticket” offers a wildly seductive overture, a companionable but occasionally slack midsection, and a haunting sucker punch of an ending.

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Related Words

• attractive 
• captivating 
• charming 
• enticing 
• fascinating 
• flirtatious 
• inviting 
• irresistible 
• provocative 
• tempting 

When To Use

What does seductive mean?

Seductive is used to describe someone who makes you want to engage in sexual activity with them, especially in a subtle or manipulative way.Seductive is also commonly used in a more general way to describe someone or something that tempts or influences someone to do something, especially something bad or something they wouldn’t normally do. Though this meaning of the word does not involve sex, it’s still often associated with the sense of the word that does.Both senses of the word often imply a subtle manipulation in which one’s motives are hidden.Seductive is the adjective form of the verb seduce. The act of seducing is called seduction.Example: There’s nothing I find more seductive in a person than the confidence to be who they are.