Temptation
noun /tɛmpˈteɪ.ʃən/ — The desire to do something enticing but possibly inadvisable.
Definition
The desire to do or have something that one knows one should probably avoid — especially something pleasurable, forbidden, or morally questionable. Temptation is the space between desire and restraint: the moment of standing at the threshold.
Beyond the definition
Temptation is the most honest description of how desire actually works — not the clean act of wanting, but the complicated state of wanting what you've decided you shouldn't have.
Origin & history
From Latin 'temptatio' (a touching, trying, testing); from 'temptare' (to feel, to try, to tempt). Related to 'attempt' — to try. The testing of resistance is what defines it.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
The whole architecture of the diet was designed to remove temptation rather than resist it — to make the choice before the moment arrives.
She stood at the threshold of what she wanted, naming the temptation carefully before deciding what to do with it.
Oscar Wilde put it best: 'The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it.' The alternative, he implied, is worse.
How to use it
This entry uses a noun. Follow the examples for articles and singular or plural forms; not every noun takes “a” or “an.”
Choose “Temptation” when the meaning fits your context: The desire to do or have something that one knows one should probably avoid — especially something pleasurable, forbidden, or morally questionable. Temptation is the space between desire and restraint: the moment of standing at the threshold.
Synonyms
allure, enticement, lure, draw
Antonyms
repulsion, aversion, resistance
Related words
Temptation vs enticement
Temptation is the internal pull or desire to do something wrong. Enticement is an external attraction or lure used to provoke that temptation.
Word in the Wild
See how this word appears in life, language and stories.
Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.
Fictional scene
Standing at the Threshold
An adult stands at the entrance of a forest, foot between light and shadow.
Standing at the edge of the forest represents the state of temptation. It is the moment between moving forward and holding back, standing on the threshold of what is forbidden and therefore highly desired.
Image credit: Wordspun · AI-generated conceptual illustration
Questions about this word
What does "Temptation" mean?
Temptation is noun meaning: The desire to do something enticing but possibly inadvisable.. The desire to do or have something that one knows one should probably avoid — especially something pleasurable, forbidden, or morally questionable. Temptation is the space between desire and restraint: the moment of standing at the threshold.
Where does the word "Temptation" come from?
From Latin 'temptatio' (a touching, trying, testing); from 'temptare' (to feel, to try, to tempt). Related to 'attempt' — to try. The testing of resistance is what defines it.