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4 definitions found
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
tempting
adjective
1: highly attractive and able to arouse hope or desire; "an
alluring prospect"; "her alluring smile"; "the voice
was low and beguiling"; "difficult to say no to an
enticing advertisement"; "a tempting invitation" [syn:
{alluring}, {beguiling}, {enticing}]
2: very pleasantly inviting; "a tantalizing aroma"; "a tempting
repast" [syn: {tantalizing}, {tantalising}]
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Tempting \Tempt"ing\, adjective
Adapted to entice or allure; attractive; alluring; seductive;
enticing; as, tempting pleasures. -- {Tempt"ing*ly}, adverb --
{Tempt"ing*ness}, noun
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Tempt \Tempt\, verb (used with an object) [imp. & p. p. {Tempted}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Tempting}.] [OE. tempten, tenten, from OF. tempter, tenter,
F. tenter, fr. L. tentare, temptare, to handle, feel, attack,
to try, put to the test, urge, freq. from tendere, tentum,
and tensum, to stretch. See {Thin}, and cf. {Attempt},
{Tend}, {Taunt}, {Tent} a pavilion, {Tent} to probe.]
1. To put to trial; to prove; to test; to try.
God did tempt Abraham. --Gen. xxii.
1.
Ye shall not tempt the Lord your God. --Deut. vi.
16.
2. To lead, or endeavor to lead, into evil; to entice to what
is wrong; to seduce.
Every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his
own lust, and enticed. --James i. 14.
3. To endeavor to persuade; to induce; to invite; to incite;
to provoke; to instigate.
Tempt not the brave and needy to despair. --Dryden.
Nor tempt the wrath of heaven's avenging Sire.
--Pope.
4. To endeavor to accomplish or reach; to attempt.
Ere leave be given to tempt the nether skies.
--Dryden.
Syn: To entice; allure; attract; decoy; seduce.
From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:
84 Moby Thesaurus words for "tempting":
Circean, acceptable, adorable, agreeable, alluring, appealing,
appetizing, attractive, beguiling, bewitching, blandishing,
cajoling, captivating, catching, charismatic, charming, coaxing,
come-hither, coquettish, delectable, delicious, delightful,
desirable, enchanting, engaging, enravishing, enthralling,
enticing, entrancing, enviable, exciting, exotic, exquisite,
fascinating, fetching, flirtatious, foxy, glamorous, heart-robbing,
hypnotic, interesting, intriguing, inviting, irresistible, likable,
lovable, lovely, luscious, luxurious, mesmeric, mouth-watering,
piquant, pleasing, prepossessing, provocative, provoking,
provoquant, ravishing, rousing, savory, seducing, seductive,
sensuous, sexy, siren, sirenic, spellbinding, spellful, succulent,
taking, tantalizing, teasing, thrilling, tickling, titillating,
titillative, to be desired, toothsome, unobjectionable, voluptuous,
winning, winsome, witching, worth having
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