TEMPTED Synonyms: 67 Similar and Opposite Words

tempted

verb

past tense of tempt

as in lured

to lead away from a usual or proper course by offering some pleasure or advantage that chocolate dessert sure tempts me, but I should stick with my diet

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in risked

to take a chance on refusing to lay in enough food for the long winter tempts the dangers of starvation

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of tempted For parents tempted by a cheap fix on social media, this is the one to pause on. — Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 23 Oct. 2026 There are two clues that suggest Burnham may be tempted to pull the trigger. — Jim Edwards, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026 With substantial American forces already positioned in the region, Washington may be tempted to break the deadlock through another round of attacks. — Ali Vaez, Time, 21 Oct. 2026 Many clients are tempted to move to a low-tax locale like Florida or Texas before a big exit. — Hayley Cuccinello, CNBC, 15 Oct. 2026 Libra September 23 – October 22 You may be tempted to spend, commit, or say yes a little too quickly this morning. — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 13 Oct. 2026 So, the next time you’re tempted to toss an inexpensive pack of socks into your cart, consider upgrading your everyday essentials instead. — Katie Decker-Jacoby, StyleCaster, 13 Oct. 2026 Israel, feeling more exposed, might become more inclined to strike preventively, and without the United States involved, Iran and its regional proxies might be more tempted to strike back. — Philip H. Gordon, Foreign Affairs, 12 Oct. 2026 You might be tempted by that pair of puppy dog eyes in the pet store window. — Jane Sykes, Washington Post, 8 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for tempted

Verb

That night, Pike, her boyfriend, 17-year-old Tadaryl Shipp, and an acquaintance, Shadolla Peterson, 18, lured Slemmer to an isolated area behind the agricultural campus steam plant.

— Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 22 Oct. 2026
When Conrad was knocked down at a practice session, Belmonte ran to help him while Manolete lured the animal away.

— Stephen Bates, New Yorker, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of lured

Verb

The company had previously said a penalty in the billions of dollars risked violating its constitutional rights to due process and protection from excessive fines.

— Reuters, NBC news, 21 Oct. 2026
Without such remedies, the turbines risked drastically spiking pollution in already vulnerable neighborhoods housing predominantly Black communities nearby, the NAACP argued.

— Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of risked

Verb

Will Stewart be seduced into the path of corruption by using Sinestro’s emotionally tainted battery, or steel himself against ill influences and continue to blaze his own trail as Earth's sole protector for the time being?

— Jeff Spry, Space.com, 17 Oct. 2026
Armani’s languid silhouette soon seduced red- and blue-blooded men the world over.

— Robb Report, Robb Report, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of seduced

Verb

Some ventured onto what was then called the County Causeway, believing the storm had passed.

— Miguel Sirgado, Miami Herald, 22 Oct. 2026
Finding her light Carrie, pictured at her Los Angeles home in 1987, ventured into writing with her semi-autobiographical debut novel, Postcards from the Edge, which hit shelves that year and became a bestseller.

— Michael Gioia, Architectural Digest, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of ventured

Verb

But while Cartman and Ike are in Sephora, they get enticed into going into the backrooms with an employee, which look straight out of Kane Parsons’ horror film.

— Payton Turkeltaub, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026
During the mid-2000s, some tribal members, enticed by a chance at life-changing money, got involved in moving people and drugs, fueling cycles of arrest and incarceration that exacerbated challenges the community was already facing.

— Ryan Devereaux, ProPublica, 10 Oct. 2026

Definition of enticed

Verb

But my encounter with Washington’s new generation has persuaded me of how deeply this party is now shaped by the ideological pillars of MAGA.

— semafor.com, semafor.com, 21 Oct. 2026
Mamut and Grönberg were persuaded by Paul Best, a new arrival at Elliott, who believed that the eclipse of brick-and-mortar retail by online commerce had been overstated, and that certain chains could flourish if well capitalized.

— Nathan Heller, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of persuaded

Browse Nearby Words

temptations

tempted

tempter

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“Tempted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tempted. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of tempted

verb

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