TEMPT


Meaning of TEMPT in English

— temptable , adj.

/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.

[ 1175-1225; ME temptare to probe, feel, test, tempt ]

Syn. 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.

Random House Webster's Unabridged English dictionary.      Полный английский словарь Вебстер - Random House .