Temptation

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: temp=ta=tion

CIDE DICTIONARY

Temptation, n. [OF. temptation, tentation, F. tentation, L. tentatio.].

•  The act of tempting, or enticing to evil; seduction.  [1913 Webster]

  "When the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season."  [1913 Webster]
•  The state of being tempted, or enticed to evil.  [1913 Webster]

  "Lead us not into temptation."  [1913 Webster]
•  That which tempts; an inducement; an allurement, especially to something evil.  [1913 Webster]

  "Dare to be great, without a guilty crown;
  View it, and lay the bright temptation down."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Temptation, n.
1 a the act or an instance of tempting; the state of being tempted; incitement esp. to wrongdoing. b (the Temptation) the tempting of Christ by the Devil (see Matt. 4).
2 an attractive thing or course of action.
3 archaic putting to the test.

Etymology

ME f. OF tentacion, temptacion f. L temptatio -onis (as TEMPT)

THESAURUS

Temptation

agacerie, allure, allurement, ambition, appeal, attraction, attractiveness, bait, beguilement, beguiling, bewitchery, bewitchment, blandishment, cajolery, cajoling, captivating, captivation, catch, charisma, charm, charmingness, coaxing, come-hither, come-on, dearest wish, decoy, desideration, desideratum, desire, draw, enchantment, enthrallment, enticement, enticing, entrapment, fascination, flirtation, forbidden fruit, glamour, glimmering goal, golden vision, hope, inducement, interest, inveiglement, invitation, lodestone, lure, magnet, magnetism, persuading, persuasion, plum, prize, pull, seducement, seducing, seduction, seductiveness, sex appeal, snare, snaring, tantalization, tempting, trap, trophy, winning ways, winsomeness, wish, witchery, wooing

ROGET THESAURUS

Temptation

Motive

N motive, springs of action, wellsprings of action, reason, ground, call, principle, by end, by purpose, mainspring, primum mobile, keystone, the why and the wherefore, pro and con, reason why, secret motive, arriere pensee, intention, inducement, consideration, attraction, loadstone, magnet, magnetism, magnetic force, allectation, allective, temptation, enticement, agacerie, allurement, witchery, bewitchment, bewitchery, charm, spell, fascination, blandishment, cajolery, seduction, seducement, honeyed words, voice of the tempter, song of the Sirens forbidden fruit, golden apple, persuasibility, persuasibleness, attractability, impressibility, susceptibility, softness, persuasiveness, attractiveness, tantalization, influence, prompting, dictate, instance, impulse, impulsion, incitement, incitation, press, instigation, provocation, inspiration, persuasion, suasion, encouragement, advocacy, exhortation, advice, solicitation, lobbyism, pull, incentive, stimulus, spur, fillip, whip, goad, ankus, rowel, provocative, whet, dram, bribe, lure, decoy, decoy duck, bait, trail of a red herring, bribery and corruption, sop, sop for Cerberus, prompter, tempter, seducer, seductor, instigator, firebrand, incendiary, Siren, Circe, agent provocateur, lobbyist, impulsive, motive, suasive, suasory, persuasive, persuasory, hortative, hortatory, protreptical, inviting, tempting suasive, suasory, seductive, attractive, fascinating, provocative, induced, disposed, persuadable, spellbound, instinct with, smitten with, infatuated, inspired, by, because, therefore, from this motive, from that motive, for this reason, for that reason, for, by reason of, for the sake of, count of, out of, from, as, forasmuch as, for all the world, on principle, fax mentis incendium gloriae, temptation hath a music for all ears, to beguile many and be beguiled by one.

Desire

N desire, wish, fancy, fantasy, want, need, exigency, mind, inclination, leaning, bent, animus, partiality, penchant, predilection, propensity, willingness, liking, love, fondness, relish, longing, hankering, inkling, solicitude, anxiety, yearning, coveting, aspiration, ambition, vaulting ambition, eagerness, zeal, ardor, empressement, breathless impatience, overanxiety, impetuosity, appetite, appetition, appetence, appetency, sharp appetite, keenness, hunger, stomach, twist, thirst, thirstiness, drouth, mouthwatering, itch, itching, prurience, cacoethes, cupidity, lust, concupiscence, edge of appetite, edge of hunger, torment of Tantalus, sweet tooth, lickerish tooth, itching palm, longing eye, wistful eye, sheep's eye, greed, voracity, passion, rage, furore, mania, manie, inextinguishable desire, dipsomania, kleptomania, lover, amateur, votary, devotee, aspirant, solicitant, candidate, applicant, supplicant, cormorant, desideratum, want, a consummation devoutly to be wished, attraction, magnet, allurement, fancy, temptation, seduction, fascination, prestige, height of one's ambition, idol, whim, whimsy, whimsey, maggot, hobby, hobby-horse, Fortunatus's cap, wishing cap, wishing stone, wishing well, desirous, desiring, inclined, partial to, fain, wishful, optative, anxious, wistful, curious, at a loss for, sedulous, solicitous, craving, hungry, sharp-set, peckish, ravening, with an empty stomach, esurient, lickerish, thirsty, athirst, parched with thirst, pinched with hunger, famished, dry, drouthy, hungry as a hunter, hungry as a hawk, hungry as a horse, hungry as a church mouse, hungry as a bear, greedy, unsatisfied, unsated, unslaked, unsaturated, eager, avid, keen, burning, fervent, ardent, agog, all agog, breathless, impatient, bent on, intent on, set on, bent upon, intent upon, set upon, mad after, enrage, rabid, dying for, devoured by desire, aspiring, ambitious, vaulting, skyaspiring, high-reaching, desirable, desired, in demand, pleasing, appetizing, appetible, tantalizing, wistfully, fain, Int, would that, would that it were!, O for!, esto perpetual, the wish being father to the thought, sua cuique voluptas, hoc erat in votis, the mouth watering, the fingers itching, aut Caesar aut nullus, Cassius has a lean and hungry look, hungry as the grave, I was born to other things, not what we wish but what we want, such joy ambition finds, the sea hath bounds but deep desire hath none, ubi mel ibi apes.