tempting
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
- temptingly adverb
- temptingness noun
- untempting adjective
- untemptingly adverb
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.
One investor tells Barron’s that superhigh volatility levels are a warning to investors not to short the options even though the high prices can be tempting to sell.
From Barron's • Apr. 21, 2026
While it’s tempting to imagine what you could afford to spend your money on without these payments, it’s best not to act on that impulse.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 11, 2026
"Our tactics continue to focus on deploying thermal drones, along with camera traps and humane traps aimed at tempting Samba out of hiding with favourite foods including melon."
From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026
I tell this story as a word of caution, because it can be very tempting to treat spring cleaning as an opportunity to reorganize your kitchen entirely.
From Salon • Mar. 19, 2026
As I cleaned it, the liver suddenly looked so tempting that I could hardly wait to prepare it.
From "My Side of the Mountain" by Jean Craighead George
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.
