tempt
Americanverb (used with object)
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tempts,
present (3rd person singular)
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tempted,
past participle, past
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tempting
present participle
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to entice or allure to do something often regarded as unwise, wrong, or immoral.
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to attract, appeal strongly to, or invite.
The offer tempts me.
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to render strongly disposed to do something.
The book tempted me to read more on the subject.
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to put (someone) to the test in a venturesome way; provoke.
to tempt one's fate.
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Obsolete. to try or test.
verb
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to attempt to persuade or entice to do something, esp something morally wrong or unwise
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to allure, invite, or attract
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to give rise to a desire in (someone) to do something; dispose
their unfriendliness tempted me to leave the party
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to risk provoking (esp in the phrase tempt fate )
Synonym Usage
Tempt, seduce may both mean to allure or entice to something unwise or wicked. To tempt is to attract by holding out the probability of gratification or advantage, often in the direction of that which is wrong or unwise: to tempt a man with a bribe. To seduce is literally to lead astray, sometimes from that which absorbs one or demands attention, but oftener, in a moral sense, from rectitude, chastity, etc.: to seduce a person away from loyalty.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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tempternoun
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pretemptverb (used with object)
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supertemptverb (used with object)
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self-temptedadjective
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temptableadjective
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untemptableadjective
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untemptedadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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temptsimple
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temptssimple
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have temptedperfect
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has temptedperfect
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am temptingprogressive
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are temptingprogressive
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is temptingprogressive
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have been temptingperfect progressive
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has been temptingperfect progressive
Past
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temptedsimple
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had temptedperfect
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was temptingprogressive
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were temptingprogressive
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had been temptingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of tempt
First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English from Latin temptāre “to probe, feel, test, tempt”
Explanation
To tempt is to lure or entice. You might tempt your runaway dog back inside with pieces of cheese. The verb tempt often has negative implications: "Don't let those bullies tempt you into picking on smaller kids!" When something tempts you, it's often with the knowledge that it's not the best idea, however attractive it might be. Tempt was originally a religious term, meaning "to entice to evil or sin," while today it's more likely to be a slice of cake that tempts us than the devil.
Vocabulary lists containing tempt
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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:
I’d only buy into this IPO and hold on to the stock if I thought Oura could either beat its massive competitors or perhaps tempt them to buy it out.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 28, 2026
Advocates say an offbeat pastime can tempt a glassy-eyed recruiter to reread your application and serve as an icebreaker in interviews.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026
Tennessee propositioned Paramount Skydance, hoping to tempt it to become the next company to leave California.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 18, 2026
The menu is designed for sharing, though a few dishes may tempt you to keep them to yourself.
From Salon ● Jun. 11, 2026
But soccer was one of the few things that could tempt Jeremiah into defying his mother.
From "Outcasts United: An American Town, a Refugee Team, and One Woman's Quest to Make a Difference" by Warren St. John
Wigler noted that the promise of hitting goals fast with AI tempts tech start-up teams already prone to long workdays to lose track of time and stay on the job even deeper into the night.
From Barron's ● Mar. 30, 2026
But this is a delicate business, and the administration tempts chaos unless it learns to exercise its power with a lot more finesse.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 20, 2026
The sunk-cost fallacy tempts people to pay escalating premiums because they’ve paid for so long.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 15, 2025
“People are afraid of decisive action, and the absence of decisive action basically tempts bad actors to keep pushing their luck,” added Ilves, who dealt with a major cyberattack blamed on Russia in 2007.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 22, 2024
It was a dull gray day, the sort that tempts you to sleep the morning away.
From "The Old Willis Place" by Mary Downing Hahn
If a model winds up causing a big problem in your life, you might feel tempted to blame the billionaire humans behind it.
From Slate ● Oct. 14, 2026
“I’m tempted to believe China will do its utmost not to be classified as a developed economy,” said Alicia García-Herrero, chief economist for Asia Pacific at the French bank Natixis.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026
Cassel said he had been tempted because like Napoleon he has Corsican roots.
From Barron's ● Oct. 12, 2026
In the run-up, she had been tempted to call it off, but felt powerless to stand up for herself.
From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026
Children may be tempted to speak or chant the drone part, but it is important that they sing it, maintaining a constant pitch and good tone.
From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin
It can be tempting to describe these well-meaning characters as everyday people trying to do their best.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
It’s tempting to treat this episode as merely humorous.
From Salon ● Oct. 1, 2026
They want investors to get back into bonds to take advantage of tempting yields.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026
But however much he loves being PM there are also less tempting realities he'll have to confront.
From BBC ● Sep. 26, 2026
It is tempting to regard this latter notation as further evidence that McCandless’s long, lonely sabbatical had changed him in some significant way.
From "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer
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