seduce

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin sēdūcō (“to lead apart or astray”), from sē- (“aside, away, astray”) + dūcō (“to lead”); see duct. Compare adduce, conduce, deduce, etc. and Middle English seduct.

Pronunciation

• (UK, Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /sɪˈdjuːs/
• (US, General American) IPA^(key): /sɪˈd(j)uːs/

• Audio (US)

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• Audio (UK)

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• Rhymes: -uːs

Verb

seduce (third-person singular simple present seduces, present participle seducing, simple past and past participle seduced)

1. (transitive) To beguile or lure (someone) away from duty, accepted principles, or proper conduct; to lead astray.
   • 1726 October 28, [Jonathan Swift], “The Author’s Oeconomy and Happy Life among the Houyhnhnms. ”, in Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World. , volume II, London: Benj Motte, , →OCLC, part IV (A Voyage to the Houyhnhnms), page 308:

     […] they alledged, That becauſe I had ſome Rudiments of Reaſon, added to the natural pravity of thoſe Animals, it was to be feared, I might be able to ſeduce them into the woody and mountainous parts of the Country, and bring them in Troops by night to deſtroy the Houyhnhnms Cattle, as being naturally of the ravenous kind, and averſe from Labour.

   • 1983, Lawrence Kasdan, George Lucas, Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi:

     Your father was seduced by the dark side of The Force.

2. (transitive) To entice or induce (someone) to engage in a sexual relationship.
   • 1967, Calder Willingham, Buck Henry, The Graduate:

     "Mrs. Robinson, are you trying to seduce me?"
     "Do you want me to seduce you?"

3. (by extension, transitive, euphemistic) To have sexual intercourse with.

   He had repeatedly seduced the girl in his car, hotels and his home.

4. (transitive) To win over or attract.

   He was seduced by the bright lights and glamour of the city.

Synonyms

• (to lure away from duty): corrupt, lead astray, misguide, bribe
• (to induce a sexual relationship): debauch, forlead, pick up, vamp
• (to have sexual intercourse with): coitize, go to bed with, sleep with; see also Thesaurus:copulate with
• (to win over or attract): beguile, entrance, pull in; see also Thesaurus:allure

Related terms

• seduction
• seductive
• seducement
• seducer
• seductress

Translations

Further reading

• “seduce”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• “seduce”, in The Century Dictionary , New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.

References

Anagrams

• deuces, educes

Galician

Verb

seduce

1. inflection of seducir:
   1. third-person singular present indicative
   2. second-person singular imperative

Italian

Verb

seduce

1. third-person singular present indicative of sedurre

Latin

Verb

sēdūce

1. second-person singular present active imperative of sēdūcō

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin sēdūcēre, present active infinitive of sēdūcō, French séduire.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key):

Verb

a seduce (third-person singular present seduce, past participle sedus) 3rd conj.

1. (transitive) to seduce

Conjugation

Derived terms

• seducător
• seducere
• sedus

Spanish

Verb

seduce

1. inflection of seducir:
   1. third-person singular present indicative
   2. second-person singular imperative