1
as in seduction
the pressure to give in to a desire for easy or immediate pleasure
he felt the temptation to go sailing, but did his chores instead
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in lure
something that persuades one to perform an action for pleasure or gain
money, power, and other overwhelming temptations can seduce a person to a life of crime
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 temptation
While some apps may offer value, the temptation to check Instagram or Snapchat far outweighs any educational benefit.
—
Neela Mukherjee Lockel, New York Daily News, 3 Jan. 2025
Can the artist stay true to their art and avoid the temptation to constantly anticipate how other people are going to receive it?
—Steph Koyfman, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Dec. 2024
As practicing Mormons, the family built a brand on resisting the temptations of fame while capturing the spirit of the era with their flared jumpsuits and rollicking dance choreography.
—Hank Sanders, New York Times, 3 Jan. 2025
Acquiescing to the way the world works is one of the temptations of being a journalist, and in Italy, for nearly a generation, the way the world worked had been Fascist.
—Christopher Tayler, Harper's Magazine, 2 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for temptation 
Neela Mukherjee Lockel, New York Daily News, 3 Jan. 2025
Can the artist stay true to their art and avoid the temptation to constantly anticipate how other people are going to receive it?
—Steph Koyfman, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Dec. 2024
As practicing Mormons, the family built a brand on resisting the temptations of fame while capturing the spirit of the era with their flared jumpsuits and rollicking dance choreography.
—Hank Sanders, New York Times, 3 Jan. 2025
Acquiescing to the way the world works is one of the temptations of being a journalist, and in Italy, for nearly a generation, the way the world worked had been Fascist.
—Christopher Tayler, Harper's Magazine, 2 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for temptation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for temptation
Noun
-
The goal is to understand the seduction of fascism, why so many people fell for Mussolini’s message then, and why so many are falling for a similar message today.—
Scott Roxborough,
The Hollywood Reporter,
31 Dec. 2024
-
Satan’s seduction of Eve had to define the very idea of what seduction was: an act of irresistible trickery on the part of the seducer; a moral and an intellectual failing on the part of the seduced.—
Merve Emre,
The New Yorker,
16 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
Meanwhile, Lorenzen was becoming a regular winner at O’Hare Stadium’s quarter-mile oval near his hometown, and the lure of a NASCAR return became strong.—
Bruce Martin,
Forbes,
18 Dec. 2024
-
Years later, in 1941 and just after the Great Depression, the lure of the resort was still making headlines.—
Stacey Barchenger,
The Arizona Republic,
3 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
Fram Energy’s approach not only democratizes access to clean energy but also aligns financial incentives across stakeholders.—
Christer Holloman,
Forbes,
20 Jan. 2025
-
The Wolverines were so invested in talent retention that a One More Year Fund was launched to, as the name suggests, provide financial incentives for stars like Blake Corum to stay for one more year instead of turning pro.—
Matt Baker,
The Athletic,
20 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near temptation
Cite this Entry
“Temptation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/temptation. Accessed 2 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share