Standard Lemma guide

tempting

adj · noun · verb · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • US: /ˈtɛmp.tɪŋ/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: T EH1 M P T IH0 NG Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Attractive, appealing, enticing.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Seductive, alluring, inviting.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

The act of subjecting somebody to temptation.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

present participle and gerund of tempt

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: form-of, gerund, participle, present

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

adjective satellite

Meaning 5

very pleasantly inviting

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a tantalizing aroma
  • a tempting repast

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: tantalizing, tantalising

Antonyms: none provided

6

adjective satellite

Meaning 6

highly attractive and able to arouse hope or desire

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • an alluring prospect
  • her alluring smile
  • the voice was low and beguiling
  • difficult to say no to an enticing advertisement
  • a tempting invitation

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: alluring, beguiling, enticing

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

49 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: примамлив (primamliv) — attractive, appealing, enticing
  • Bulgarian: превлекателен (prevlekatelen) — attractive, appealing, enticing
  • Catalan: temptador — attractive, appealing, enticing
  • Chinese Mandarin: 有吸引力的 (xīyǐnlì) — attractive, appealing, enticing
  • Chinese Mandarin: 吸引人的 (xīyǐn) — attractive, appealing, enticing
  • Danish: fristende — attractive, appealing, enticing
  • Dutch: verleidelijk — attractive, appealing, enticing
  • Finnish: houkutteleva — attractive, appealing, enticing
  • Finnish: viehättävä — attractive, appealing, enticing
  • French: tentant — attractive, appealing, enticing
  • Galician: tentador — attractive, appealing, enticing
  • German: verführerisch — attractive, appealing, enticing
  • German: verlockend — attractive, appealing, enticing
  • German: attraktiv — attractive, appealing, enticing
  • Greek: δελεαστικός (deleastikós) — attractive, appealing, enticing
  • Hindi: लोभन (lobhan) — attractive, appealing, enticing
  • Hungarian: csábos — attractive, appealing, enticing
  • Italian: tentatore — attractive, appealing, enticing
  • Macedonian: примамлив (primamliv) — attractive, appealing, enticing
  • Norwegian Bokmål: fristende — attractive, appealing, enticing
  • Polish: kusicielski — attractive, appealing, enticing
  • Portuguese: tentador — attractive, appealing, enticing
  • Romanian: tentant — attractive, appealing, enticing
  • Russian: соблазни́тельный (soblaznítelʹnyj) — attractive, appealing, enticing
  • Russian: привлека́тельный (privlekátelʹnyj) — attractive, appealing, enticing
  • Spanish: tentador — attractive, appealing, enticing
  • Ukrainian: спокусливий (spokuslyvyj) — attractive, appealing, enticing
  • Bulgarian: съблазнителен (sǎblaznitelen) — seductive, alluring, inviting
  • Catalan: temptador — seductive, alluring, inviting
  • Chinese Mandarin: 誘人 /诱人的 (yòurén) — seductive, alluring, inviting
  • Chinese Mandarin: 誘惑 /诱惑的 (yòuhuò) — seductive, alluring, inviting
  • Finnish: houkutteleva — seductive, alluring, inviting
  • Finnish: viettelevä — seductive, alluring, inviting
  • German: verführerisch — seductive, alluring, inviting
  • German: verlockend — seductive, alluring, inviting
  • German: einladend — seductive, alluring, inviting
  • German: reizend — seductive, alluring, inviting
  • Hindi: लोभन (lobhan) — seductive, alluring, inviting
  • Hindi: आकर्षक (ākarṣak) — seductive, alluring, inviting
  • Hungarian: csábos — seductive, alluring, inviting
  • Macedonian: соблазнив (soblazniv) — seductive, alluring, inviting
  • Norwegian Bokmål: fristende — seductive, alluring, inviting
  • Polish: kusicielski — seductive, alluring, inviting
  • Portuguese: tentador — seductive, alluring, inviting
  • Romanian: tentant — seductive, alluring, inviting
  • Russian: соблазни́тельный (soblaznítelʹnyj) — seductive, alluring, inviting
  • Russian: маня́щий (manjáščij) — seductive, alluring, inviting
  • Russian: привлека́тельный (privlekátelʹnyj) — seductive, alluring, inviting
  • Spanish: tentador — seductive, alluring, inviting
Real reading context

tempting in complete knowledge articles