entice
Americanverb (used with object)
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entices,
present (3rd person singular)
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enticed,
past participle, past
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enticing
present participle
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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enticementnoun
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enticernoun
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enticingnessnoun
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enticingadjective
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unenticedadjective
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enticinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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enticesimple
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enticessimple
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have enticedperfect
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has enticedperfect
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am enticingprogressive
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are enticingprogressive
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is enticingprogressive
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have been enticingperfect progressive
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has been enticingperfect progressive
Past
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enticedsimple
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had enticedperfect
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was enticingprogressive
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were enticingprogressive
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had been enticingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of entice
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English enticen, from Old French enticier “to incite,” from unattested Vulgar Latin intitiāre, equivalent to Latin in- in- 2 + -titiāre, verbal derivative of unattested titius, for titiō “piece of burning wood”
Explanation
Let's say your friend wants to go to the movies and you don't want to. Your friend might try to entice you by offering to buy you popcorn and a soda. Entice means to persuade with promises of something. The word entice means to lure or tempt someone by promising them something that they like. It is a little manipulative but in a fairly straightforward way. You always know it when someone is enticing you. If a company really wants to hire you, they will entice you with a good salary and generous benefits. The promise of a gold star is often enough to entice small children to get good grades.
Vocabulary lists containing entice
Nothing But the Truth
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "E"
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And Then There Were None
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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:
Organisers hope to entice more participants with wildcard entries to events like the 2027 World Road Running Championships in China.
From BBC ● Oct. 23, 2026
While Kawhi Leonard got an NBA Finals hero’s welcome back up north in Toronto, the Clippers did what they could to entice fans back to Intuit Dome.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2026
But Apple will have something new—and very expensive—to entice them when it releases the latest iPhone models on Sept. 9: a foldable phone.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026
In the school holidays, many places will entice families through their doors by offering free or £1 meals for kids eating with paying adults.
From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2026
They needed simply to entice Mike Burry, or some other market pessimist, to pick 100 different triple-B bonds and buy $10 million in credit default swaps on each of them.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
A mysterious offer to work on an island refuge entices a man back to his former profession.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026
He argued they include private exchanges with lawyers, details about policy-making decisions and information that would reveal how the state entices companies to invest here.
From Salon ● Jul. 14, 2025
A partial answer does surface halfway through “Close Your Eyes,” but that’s just another door Erice entices us to walk through — not, by any means, a neat resolution.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 31, 2024
And it’s a sign that the game is operating exactly as designed, with long odds creating a massive jackpot that entices people to drop $2 on a ticket.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 4, 2024
It’s this weakness, whatever it is, that entices me.
From "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood
That question has taken on added significance for investors enticed by Treasury yields at multidecade highs, even if a successful 10-year note auction Wednesday momentarily cooled the feverish market.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
Authorities enticed companies with comprehensive financial, tax and employment support packages -- some were offered three‑year tax exemptions and 10 years of free rent.
From Barron's ● Aug. 31, 2026
Pintscher was enticed to the Salzburg Festival as part of this summer’s homage to the ageless Hungarian composer György Kurtág, who turned 100 this year.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026
In those early days after the Revolutionary War and well into the 21st Century, what became known as the Dream enticed millions of immigrants to this shiny new nation full of hope, optimism and individualism.
From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026
His parody of sorrow brought its usual reprieve: the man laughed and patted the bony head, then enticed him down with the promise of a run.
From "The Incredible Journey" by Sheila Burnford
A small shelter was placed in the middle of the trap that proved very enticing for Luna.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026
Sure, for people with no health insurance, this is an enticing opportunity to effectively pay one month of coverage to get the silhouette of an annual physical, except without an actual doctor present.
From Slate ● Oct. 8, 2026
“The higher that yields go — for at least new money — it becomes more enticing to think about putting money into bonds,” one strategist notes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
The positions of the full-backs help by enticing narrow opponents to be stretched wider.
From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026
Presently, the enticing smell of raw, warm meat filtered through into the old dog’s senses.
From "The Incredible Journey" by Sheila Burnford
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
