tempting

Tempting is the present participle of the verb tempt and is used as an adjective to describe something that arouses a desire to act in a way that is often considered wrong, unwise, or risky. It can modify nouns such as a tempting offer or a tempting aroma and is frequently used to convey attraction as well as potential moral conflict. The term can also function as a verbal form in phrases like tempting someone to cheat or in continuous constructions such as is tempting.

Etymology: Tempt comes from Old French tenter, from Latin tentāre to test, to try. The sense of drawing someone toward an action evolved into the modern use of tempting as something attractive that tempts or entices. The word temptation shares the same root and refers to the urge itself or the act of being enticed.

Usage and nuance: In everyday language, something tempting is appealing and hard to resist, though the disagreeable or risky nature may not be explicit. The phrase tempting fate refers to engaging in a risky action with the potential for negative consequences. Tempting can also describe enticing ideas, situations, or people that provoke desire without implying moral judgment by themselves; judgment depends on context.

Contexts: Temptation is a common motif across religion, literature, and media, ranging from moral allegory to everyday decisions. In psychology and behavioral sciences, temptation is studied as a factor in self-control, decision making, and impulse regulation.

See also: temptation, lure, enticement, allure, self-control.