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 throw the wine in his face.
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
tempt 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.