tempt

B1 Topic:Actions & Processes

US /ˈtɛmpt/ UK /tɛmpt/ See IPA manual

Freq #11098

Meanings

1

verb
To make someone want to have or do something, especially something they should avoid.

The smell of fresh bread tempted me to buy a loaf.
2

verb
To try to persuade someone to do something by offering a reward or pleasure.

They tempted him to join the team with a high salary.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to make someone want to... entice lure allure

2 verb · to try to persuade someone... lure entice

Word family

Forms temptedtemptertemptingtempts

Derived forms attempt temptationtemptertemptfultemptlesstemptlytemptresstemptsometemptuous

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

tempting offer
an offer that is very attractive and hard to decline

Adjective + noun

Idioms (1)

See all

tempt fate
to take a needless risk that seems likely to bring trouble

Simplified etymology

Tempt goes back to Latin temptare, meaning “to test” or “try.” In medieval use, temptation was especially associated with the Gospel account of the Devil testing Jesus during his forty days in the wilderness. Attempt comes from the same root.

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”).

tempten Middle English tempter Old French tempto Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# tempt

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B1
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /ˈtɛmpt/
**IPA (UK):** /tɛmpt/
**Frequency rank:** 11098

## Meanings
1. To make someone want to have or do something, especially something they should avoid.
2. To try to persuade someone to do something by offering a reward or pleasure.

## Examples
- The smell of fresh bread tempted me to buy a loaf.
- They tempted him to join the team with a high salary.

## Derived Forms
- attempt
- temptation
- tempter
- temptful
- temptless
- temptly
- temptress
- temptsome
- temptuous

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: tempten
- Root: tempter
- Root: tempto

## 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”).

## AI Etymology
Tempt is 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”). In present-day use, it can mean to make someone want to have or do something, especially something they should avoid, or to try to persuade someone to do something by offering a reward or pleasure.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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