tempt

English

Etymology

From Middle English tempten, from Old French tempter (French: tenter), from Latin temptare, from tentare (“to handle, touch, try, test, tempt”), frequentative of tendere (“to stretch”). Displaced native English costning (“temptation”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation, General American) IPA^(key): /tɛmpt/, /tɛmt/

• Audio (GA)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛmpt, -ɛmt

Verb

tempt (third-person singular simple present tempts, present participle tempting, simple past and past participle tempted)

1. (transitive) To provoke someone to do wrong, especially by promising a reward; to entice.

   She tempted me to eat the apple.

2. (transitive) To attract; to allure.

   Its glossy skin tempted me.

3. (transitive) To provoke something; to court.

   It would be tempting fate.

Synonyms

• (provoke someone to do wrong): entice, fand, lure, pander, tease
• (attract; allure): beguile, entrance; see also Thesaurus:allure
• (provoke something): foment, urge; see also Thesaurus:incite

Derived terms

Translations

Further reading

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

Latvian

Verb

tempt (transitive, 1st conjugation, present tempju, temp, tempj, past tempu)

1. to gulp
2. to swill
3. to quaff

Conjugation