tempt

verb

1)

the manager tried to tempt him to stay

Syn:

entice, persuade, convince, inveigle, induce, cajole, coax, woo; informal sweet-talk

Ant:

discourage, deter

2)

more customers are being tempted by credit

Syn:

allure, attract, appeal to, whet the appetite of; lure, seduce, beguile, tantalize, draw

Ant:

repel, put off

••

tempt, allure, beguile, entice, inveigle, lure, seduce

When we are under the influence of a powerful attraction, particularly to something that is wrong or unwise, we are tempted. Entice implies that a crafty or skillful person has attracted us by offering a reward or pleasure (she was enticed into joining the group by a personal plea from its handsome leader), while inveigle suggests that we are enticed through the use of deception or cajolery (inveigled into supporting the plan). If someone lures us, it suggests that we have been tempted or influenced for fraudulent or destructive purposes or attracted to something harmful or evil (lured by gang members). Allure may also suggest that we have been deliberately tempted against our will, but the connotations here are often sexual (allured by her dark green eyes). Seduce carries heavy sexual connotations (seduced by an older woman), although it can simply mean prompted to action against our will (seduced by a clever sales pitch). While beguile at one time referred exclusively to the use of deception to lead someone astray, nowadays it can also refer to the use of subtle devices to lead someone on (a local festival designed to beguile the tourists).