temptation

UK: /tɛmpˈteɪʃ^ən/ US: (temp tā′shən)

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

temp•ta•tion  (temp tā′shən), n. 

1. the act of tempting;
   enticement or allurement.
2. something that tempts, entices, or allures.
3. the fact or state of being tempted, esp. to evil.
4. an instance of this.
5. Bible (cap.) the temptation of Christ by Satan. Matt. 4.

• Latin temptātiōn- (stem of temptātiō) a testing. See tempt, -ation
• Middle English temptacion 1175–1225

temp•ta′tion•al, adj. 
Synonyms

• 1. lure, attraction, pull, seduction, inducement.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

temptation / tɛmpˈteɪʃən/ noun

1. the act of tempting or the state of being tempted
2. a person or thing that tempts

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

tempt /tɛmpt/   v. 

1. to attract (someone) to do something, esp. something unwise, wrong, or immoral: [~ + object]
   Satan tempted Jesus in the desert.
   [~ + object + to + verb]
   The devil tempted him to sin.
2. to attract, appeal strongly to, or invite: [~ + object]
   The offer tempts me.
   [~ + object + to + verb]
   He's tempted to take a job in the U.S.
3. to put to the test in a risky way:
   [~ + object] You are tempting fate by making all those arrangements for your new home before you buy it.

temp•ta•tion, n. [countable* uncountable]

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

tempt  (tempt), v.t. 

1. to entice or allure to do something often regarded as unwise, wrong, or immoral.
2. to attract, appeal strongly to, or invite:
   The offer tempts me.
3. to render strongly disposed to do something:
   The book tempted me to read more on the subject.
4. to put (someone) to the test in a venturesome way;
   provoke:
   to tempt one's fate.
5. [Obs.] to try or test.

• Latin temptāre to probe, feel, test, tempt
• Middle English 1175–1225

tempt′a•ble, adj. 
Synonyms

• 1. 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.
• 2. inveigle, induce, lure, incite, persuade.