tenté

Tenté is the past participle of the French verb tenter. It has two main uses in modern French: as a form in compound tenses of tenter to express an attempted action, and as an adjective describing temptation or allure.

In its verb sense, tentée appears in constructions such as j’ai tenté de faire quelque chose (I tried to do something) or il a tenté sa chance (he tried his luck). The participle agrees in gender and number with the object when used adjectivally, for example une idée tentée or une proposition tentante (the latter meaning tempting). The reflexive phrase se laisser tenter means to yield to temptation.

In its sense related to temptation, tenté conveys a pull or lure toward a particular course of action. Common collocations include être tenté par quelque chose (to be tempted by something) and se laisser tenter par une offre (to be swayed by an offer). The related noun tentation and the adjective tentant / tentante (tempting) are closely connected.

Etymology: tenter derives from Old French tenter, ultimately from Latin tentāre, meaning to try or to test. The word drifted into French with both the sense of attempting something and of provoking desire or seduction.

Usage notes: tenté is versatile but context determines whether the sense is “to try/attempt” or “to be tempted.” It features across literature, journalism, and everyday speech, and forms such as tenter le coup or tenter sa chance are common idioms.