tempt
Definitions
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WordNet 3.6
- v tempt induce into action by using one's charm "She charmed him into giving her all his money"
- v tempt provoke someone to do something through (often false or exaggerated) promises or persuasion "He lured me into temptation"
- v tempt try presumptuously "St. Anthony was tempted in the desert"
- v tempt dispose or incline or entice to "We were tempted by the delicious-looking food"
- v tempt give rise to a desire by being attractive or inviting "the window displays tempted the shoppers"
- v tempt try to seduce
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Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
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- Tempt To endeavor to accomplish or reach; to attempt. "Ere leave be given to tempt the nether skies."
- Tempt To endeavor to persuade; to induce; to invite; to incite; to provoke; to instigate. "Tempt not the brave and needy to despair.""Nor tempt the wrath of heaven's avenging Sire."
- Tempt To lead, or endeavor to lead, into evil; to entice to what is wrong; to seduce. "Every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed."
- Tempt To put to trial; to prove; to test; to try. "God did tempt Abraham.""Ye shall not tempt the Lord your God."
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Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
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- tempt To put to trial; try; test; put to the test.
- tempt To entice; attract; allure; invite; induce; incline; dispose; incite.
- tempt To incite or entice to evil; entice to something wrong by presenting arguments that are plausible or convincing, or by the offer of some pleasure or apparent advantage as the inducement; seduce.
- tempt To provoke; defy; act presumptuously toward.
- tempt To attempt; endeavor to do, accomplish, or reach; venture on.
- tempt Synonyms and To lure, inveigle, decoy, bait, bribe.
- n tempt An attempt.
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Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary
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- v.t Tempt temt to put to trial: to test: to try to persuade, esp. to evil: to entice
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Quotations
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“Here is the rule to remember in the future, When anything tempts you to be bitter: not, This is a misfortune but To bear this worthily is good fortune.” -
“The real art of conversation is not only to say the right thing at the right place but to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment.” -
“Not only to say the right thing in the right place, but far more difficult, to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment.”
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“The devil tempts all men, but idle men tempt the devil.”
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“There are always difficulties arising that tempt you to believe your critics are right.” -
“Tempted fate will leave the loftiest star.”
Idioms
Tempt fate - If you tempt fate, you do something where there is a high risk of failure. It can also be used when talking about something could make it risky.
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Tempt providence - If you tempt providence, you take a risk that may well have unpleasant consequences. ('Tempt fate' is also used.)
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Etymology
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
OE. tempten, tenten, from OF. tempter, tenter, F. tenter, fr. L. tentare, temptare, to handle, feel, attack, to try, put to the test, urge, freq. from tendere, tentum, and tensum, to stretch. See Thin, and cf. Attempt Tend Taunt Tent a pavilion, Tent to probe
Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary
O. Fr. tempter (Fr. tenter)—L. tentāre, an inten. of tendĕre, to stretch.
Usage
In literature:
He couldn't resist temptation, so he had come where he was not tempted.
"Contrary Mary" by Temple Bailey
The explorer did not tempt mutiny by going farther.
"Pathfinders of the West" by A. C. Laut
It is because pain does not tempt and attract us.
"Pascal's Pensées" by Blaise Pascal
We obey, And shifting camp, set sail and tempt the doubtful way.
"The Aeneid of Virgil" by Virgil
The girl was tempted to tell some easy fib that the rose was faded, or too fragrant; but somehow she could not.
"The Second Latchkey" by Charles Norris Williamson and Alice Muriel Williamson
He was tempted in all points like as we are.
"Quiet Talks on Following the Christ" by S. D. Gordon
Maybe Joyce can tempt you with a mixture she's a dabster at.
"Joyce of the North Woods" by Harriet T. Comstock
More than once he was tempted to buy back his lost identity at any price.
"The Price" by Francis Lynde
But she knew I was tempted.
"The Way of Ambition" by Robert Hichens
The solemn beauty of the falling night tempted Kate to linger, while Eeny went on to the house.
"Kate Danton, or, Captain Danton's Daughters" by May Agnes Fleming
She could not endure the long evenings in the villa, and felt that she must again tempt fortune at the Casino.
"The Guests Of Hercules" by C. N. Williamson and A. M. Williamson
I was strongly tempted to fling me down this perilous abyss, and end my learning and my life together.
"Alroy The Prince Of The Captivity" by Benjamin Disraeli
After a while his master's wife tempts him.
"True Words for Brave Men" by Charles Kingsley
If you are in a city like Boston, I will tell you what you will be tempted to do.
"Girls and Women" by Harriet E. Paine (AKA E. Chester}
I am tempted to do so at this moment.
"Ernest Linwood" by Caroline Lee Hentz
You will be tempted more than ever.
"Quiet Talks on Power" by S.D. Gordon
Nothing my uncle had marked tempted me.
"My Friend Smith" by Talbot Baines Reed
But it's awfully tempting.
"A Dog with a Bad Name" by Talbot Baines Reed
She was not herself very much tempted by the prospect.
"Robert Elsmere" by Mrs. Humphry Ward
Far is it from me to be tempted with Satan; I am only tempted with Sorrow, whose sharp teeth devour my heart.
"Sir Walter Ralegh" by William Stebbing
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In poetry:
O beauteous devil, tempt me, tempt me on,
Till thou hast won my soul in sighs;
I'll smile with thee upon thy flaming throne,
If thou wilt keep those eyes.
Till thou hast won my soul in sighs;
I'll smile with thee upon thy flaming throne,
If thou wilt keep those eyes.
"Within and Without: Part III: A Dramatic Poem" by George MacDonald
"Why, where's that boy?... and where's the change?
He should have brought an hour ago.
Ah well, ah well... they're all alike,
I was a fool to tempt him so!"
He should have brought an hour ago.
Ah well, ah well... they're all alike,
I was a fool to tempt him so!"
"The Newsboy's Debt( A Victorian Tale )" by Anonymous British
But you will listen to the voice, although
The harp is silent — you who glorified
Your great, sad gift of life, because you know
How souls are tempted and how hearts are tried.
The harp is silent — you who glorified
Your great, sad gift of life, because you know
How souls are tempted and how hearts are tried.
"John Bede Polding" by Henry Kendall
When blinded by thy mother's guileful charms,
Thou cam'st with Hope and Rapture in thy train,
While close behind trod Woe and ambush'd Pain,
Lurking beneath false Pleasure's tempting arms.
Thou cam'st with Hope and Rapture in thy train,
While close behind trod Woe and ambush'd Pain,
Lurking beneath false Pleasure's tempting arms.
"To Love" by Charlotte Dacre
They kissed his cauld hands, and a smile o'er his face
Seemed hopefu' of being accepted by grace;
"Oh, doubtna," said Jamie, "forgi'en he will be--
Wha wouldna be tempted, my love, to win thee?"
Seemed hopefu' of being accepted by grace;
"Oh, doubtna," said Jamie, "forgi'en he will be--
Wha wouldna be tempted, my love, to win thee?"
"Auld Robin Gray" by Henry Morley
So must I tempt that face to loose its lightning.
Great gods, whose beauty is death, will laugh above,
Who made his beauty lovelier than love.
I shall be bright with their unearthly brightening.
Great gods, whose beauty is death, will laugh above,
Who made his beauty lovelier than love.
I shall be bright with their unearthly brightening.
"Storm" by Wilfred Owen
In news:
Half-billion dollar jackpot is oh, so tempting .
Rose Bowl has tempting pay day.
The hubs tempting Dubai entrepreneurs.
Facebook Is More Tempting Than Sex.
Among "reach" states tempting Romney camp.
" Tempting Providence" at the 1000 Islands Playhouse.
Deidre Gillard-Rowlings/Darryl Hopkins in Tempting Providence.
More Tempting Than Sex And Cigs.
Checking Facebook, Twitter More Tempting Than Sex or Cigarettes.
Checking social networking sites is more tempting than sex and cigarettes, a study has revealed.
'Bait' may sounds tempting but is mostly blah: review.
Nets Players May Find Brooklyn a Tempting Place to Live.
But it's also the same reason that at this stage, Prince Harry should know better than to tempt tabloid fate.
Free agent waters tempting Seahawks.
Looking over the concert calendar for the remainder of this season, one can't help but be impressed with the extensive variety and tempting quality of performances.
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In science:
At this point, it is tempting to conjecture that this holds for eSN (t) too.
Multiparticle trapping problem in the half-line
Due to the big interest to such generalization it is tempting to try to use these generalized algebras to the supersymmetric solitonic equations.
Generalized Grassmann Algebras and its Connection to the Extended Supersymmetric Models
It is then tempting to expect that there exists an open vicinity of B∗ included in ΩU N , i.e., that B∗ lies in the interior of ΩU N and, consequently, that ΩU N has positive volume.
Random unistochastic matrices
One may be tempted to set the location of this boundary at spatial infinity, but it has been shown periodic geometries containing radiation are not asymptotically flat.
Variational Principles in General Relativity
Clearly, in the limit ℓ → ∞, each term of this series vanishes, and so it is tempting to conclude that S = 0.
Spectral statistics of the k-body random-interaction model
It is tempting to conclude from eq. (65) that, in the limit of small x, we can take Mn (x) = x−(n−2)/(n!(n−1)!).
Spectral statistics of the k-body random-interaction model
It is tempting to attribute the first minimum to the crossing of the Sagittarius-Carina arm.
The Spiral Structure of the Milky Way, Cosmic Rays, and Ice Age Epochs on Earth
Still, it is tempting to explore the consequences of that model, after extending it to other disk galaxies.
The Milky Way and the evolution of disk galaxies
Nevertheless, it is tempting to try and use this topological field theory interpretation to construct lattice models containing a residual element of supersymmetry.
Lattice Supersymmetry and Topological Field Theory
It is tempting to call it the “ultimate Norway”.
Conformal Fractal Geometry and Boundary Quantum Gravity
This might tempt one to suggest that heating (first) term in r.h.s. (30) should be neglected compared to the friction (second) term.
Dynamical evolution of planetesimals in protoplanetary disks
One might be tempted to formulate the specific mechanisms in terms of the common notions of reactions being kinetically or thermodynamically controlled.
Ribosome recycling, diffusion, and mRNA loop formation in translational regulation
This line corresponds to v ∝ iaAHNS and consequently one might be tempted to interpret this as evidence of an AHNS exponent.
Scaling determination of the nonlinear I-V characteristics for 2D superconducting networks
It is tempting to develop QMn further at this point and describe motion of systems and transformations based on Rn space.
Towards a Coherent Theory of Physics and Mathematics: The Theory-Experiment Connection
It is tempting to drop the condition for R to be a lower triangular.
Geometry of D-branes for general N=(2,2) sigma models
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