entice

verb

en·​tice in-ˈtīs How to pronounce entice (audio)
en-
enticed; enticing

transitive verb

: to attract artfully or adroitly or by arousing hope or desire : tempt
enticement noun
Choose the Right Synonym for entice

lure, entice, inveigle, decoy, tempt, seduce mean to lead astray from one's true course.

lure implies a drawing into danger, evil, or difficulty through attracting and deceiving.

lured naive investors with get-rich-quick schemes

entice suggests drawing by artful or adroit means.

advertising designed to entice new customers

inveigle implies enticing by cajoling or flattering.

fund-raisers inveigling wealthy alumni

decoy implies a luring into entrapment by artifice.

attempting to decoy the enemy into an ambush

tempt implies the presenting of an attraction so strong that it overcomes the restraints of conscience or better judgment.

tempted by the offer of money

seduce implies a leading astray by persuasion or false promises.

seduced by assurances of assistance

Examples of entice in a Sentence

every commercial seemed to be for some tempting snack specifically designed to entice me from my diet
Recent Examples on the Web Many of them are young men from South Asia, enticed by the prospect of steady employment and higher salaries in Russia. Helen Regan, CNN, 10 July 2024 Sellers' legendary comic timing, outrageous accent, and gift for slapstick never fail to amuse, and will likely entice younger viewers despite being nearly 50 years old. Danny Horn, EW.com, 10 July 2024 The federal government has attempted to entice farms to test with incentives (rather than mandates), but the industry has largely resisted taking such measures. Dylan Scott, Vox, 1 July 2024 Batches of balloons have also carried U.S. dollar bills, bags of rice and USB sticks with K-pop music to entice North Koreans to pick up the contents. Shinhye Kang and Jon Herskovitz / Bloomberg, TIME, 25 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for entice 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'entice.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French enticer, from Vulgar Latin *intitiare, from Latin in- + titio firebrand

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of entice was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near entice

Cite this Entry

“Entice.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/entice. Accessed 15 Jul. 2024.

Kids Definition

entice

verb
en·​tice in-ˈtīs How to pronounce entice (audio)
enticed; enticing
: to attract by arousing hope or desire : tempt
enticement noun
enticingly adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on entice

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!