- present participle of tempt.
tempting
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of tempting
Explanation
Anything that's tempting makes you excited or interested, like a tempting chocolate doughnut or a tempting offer to go to the movies instead of doing your chores. An invitation or offer that intrigues you is tempting—even if it might ultimately be a bad idea. It's tempting to skip school and spend the afternoon at the beach, but it's wiser to avoid the temptation. People commonly describe food they feel is bad for them as tempting. This sense of something that's both harmful and attractive comes from the original meaning of tempt, "entice to evil or sin."
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.
It seems Sally is uninterested in tempting the fates since for generations those who have fallen in love with members of the Owens family have been cursed to die.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 24, 2026
“With the Strait set to reopen it is tempting to think that the global rate-hiking cycle is already over,” said Dario Perkins, an economist at TS Lombard.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 18, 2026
It is tempting to call 3%, or even 4%, the new 2%, as some Fed watchers have snidely asserted.
From Barron's • Jun. 10, 2026
America’s current structural weakness against supply disruptions impairs its geopolitical position and gives U.S. adversaries a tempting target.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 3, 2026
The stew was mighty tempting, though, and I carefully backed off the porch.
From "Life Is So Good" by George Dawson
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.
