entice

[ en-tahys ]

verb (used with object)

, en·ticed, en·tic·ing.

1. to lead on by exciting hope or desire; allure; inveigle:

   They were enticed westward by dreams of gold.

   Synonyms: tempt, decoy, attract, lure

   Antonyms: repel

entice

/ ɪnˈtaɪs /

verb

1. tr to attract or draw towards oneself by exciting hope or desire; tempt; allure

Derived Forms

• enˈticing, adjective
• enˈticingly, adverb
• enˈticer, noun
• enˈticement, noun
• enˈticingness, noun

Other Words From

• un·en·ticed adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of entice¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English enticen, from Old French enticier “to incite,” from unattested Vulgar Latin intitiāre, equivalent to Latin in- in- ² + -titiāre, verbal derivative of unattested titius, for titiō “piece of burning wood”

Word History and Origins

Origin of entice¹

C13: from Old French enticier, from Vulgar Latin intitiāre (unattested) to incite, from Latin titiō firebrand

Example Sentences

Streaming rights could entice one of those broadcasters to pay up to retain MLB games — and could lure the likes of Apple, Amazon or YouTube to bid as well.

From Los Angeles Times

Instead, she wants to see names and numbers on the back of shirts and a simplified scoring system to entice the young.

From BBC

It has been a commercial success too, which doesn’t hurt, particularly at a time when prestige films have struggled to entice grown-ups away from the comforts of home.

From Los Angeles Times

So she has some advice for journalists tempted by the burden of having bosses to “just go independent,” enticed, say, by the siren call of freelancing: “Just do a substack! It’s the future of journalism.”

From Los Angeles Times

The league hopes to entice one or more of its national broadcast partners to renew their deals by adding streaming rights currently held by local teams.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• attract
• beguile
• cajole
• coax
• seduce
• tempt