Dictionary.com | Meanings & Definitions of English Words (original) (raw)
Discover More
Other Words From
- en·tic·ing·ly adverb
- en·tic·ing·ness noun
- non·en·tic·ing adjective
- non·en·tic·ing·ly adverb
- un·en·tic·ing adjective
Discover More
Word History and Origins
Discover More
Example Sentences
Three of the next four games are in prime-time slots, starting with next Sunday’s matchup that was so enticing that the NFL flexed it into the “Sunday Night Football” window.
Thankfully, L.A. is an enticing place to grow older, and not just because of the temperate climate.
The Brazilian has four goals this season and now faces the same juicy fixture run that makes Ait-Nouri an enticing pick, starting with Palace and Southampton at home.
"Honey pot" profiles contain enticing, but false, personal information to be used to actively engage with suspicious websites, forums or online communities.
Unai Emery paid his respects to Aston Villa's glorious past while offering up the enticing prospect of a golden future on one of Villa Park's greatest nights.
Discover More
More About Enticing
What does enticing mean?
Enticing means having the effect of attracting, tempting, or drawing people in.
Things that are described as enticing produce desire or attraction. The word is especially used to describe things that appeal to the senses. But something can be enticing for other reasons, as in The job offer was enticing due to the big salary increase, but I didn’t think the work would be fulfilling.
The adjective enticing comes from the continuous tense (-ing form) of the verb entice, meaning to attract, allure, or tempt. (Entice is sometimes confused with the verb incite, which means to encourage, urge, prompt, or provoke someone to do something, especially something bad. Incite is usually used more negatively than entice.)
Something that’s described as enticing is viewed as positive and desirous by the person whom it has enticed, but the word itself sometimes implies that such a thing serves to tempt people to do something that perhaps they shouldn’t, as in That chocolate is enticing, but I vowed to give up sweets for a while.
Example: The enticing aroma of the roasted nuts draws people to the street cart.
Where does enticing come from?
The first records of enticing as an adjective come from the 1500s. The base word, entice, is recorded earlier, in the 1200s. It comes from the Vulgar Latin verb intitiāre, which means “to incite” and derives from the Latin titiō, “piece of burning wood.”
Fittingly, the scent, sound, and warm glow of a crackling fire make it _enticing_—they draw us in. The similar word alluring can be used to mean the same thing, and also sometimes implies that such a thing is tempting us to do the wrong thing. The word seductive implies this even more strongly. But things that are enticing can be very good—fresh vegetables can be enticing, and your bed can look enticing at the end of a long day.
Did you know ... ?
How is enticing used in real life?
Try using enticing!
Which of the following words is NOT a synonym for enticing?
A. inviting
B. alluring
C. appalling
D. appealing