tempt
verb/tempt/
/tempt/
Verb Forms
Idioms | present simple I / you / we / they tempt | /tempt/ /tempt/ |
| he / she / it tempts | /tempts/ /tempts/ |
| past simple tempted | /ˈtemptɪd/ /ˈtemptɪd/ |
| past participle tempted | /ˈtemptɪd/ /ˈtemptɪd/ |
| -ing form tempting | /ˈtemptɪŋ/ /ˈtemptɪŋ/ |
- to attract somebody or make somebody want to do or have something, even if they know it is wrong
- tempt somebody I was tempted by the dessert menu.
- Don't tempt thieves by leaving valuables clearly visible.
- tempt somebody into (doing) something He was tempted into a life of crime.
- tempt somebody to do something I was tempted to take the day off.
Extra Examples- Did you ever feel tempted to cheat?
- I was almost tempted to strip off and plunge straight into the pool.
- She was sorely tempted to tell him what she really thought.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverb + tempt- could
- may
- might
- …
- into
- with
- be almost tempted
- be half tempted
- be tempted
- …
- to persuade or try to persuade somebody to do something that you want them to do, for example by offering them something
- tempt somebody (into something/into doing something) How can we tempt young people into engineering?
- tempt somebody to do something Nothing would tempt me to live here.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverb + tempt- could
- may
- might
- …
- into
- with
- be almost tempted
- be half tempted
- be tempted
- …
Word OriginMiddle English: from Old French tempter ‘to test’, from Latin temptare ‘handle, test, try’.
Idioms
See tempt in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee tempt in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic Englishtempt fate/providence
- to do something too confidently in a way that might mean that your good luck will come to an end
- She felt it would be tempting fate to try the difficult climb a second time.
- It would be tempting fate to say that we will definitely win the game.
Check pronunciation:
tempt