seduce

verb

se·​duce si-ˈdüs How to pronounce seduce (audio)
-ˈdyüs
seduced; seducing

transitive verb

1
: to persuade to disobedience or disloyalty
2
: to lead astray usually by persuasion or false promises
3
: to carry out the physical seduction of : entice to sexual intercourse
4
seducer noun
Choose the Right Synonym for seduce

lure, entice, inveigle, decoy, tempt, seduce mean to lead astray from one's true course.

lure implies a drawing into danger, evil, or difficulty through attracting and deceiving.

lured naive investors with get-rich-quick schemes

entice suggests drawing by artful or adroit means.

advertising designed to entice new customers

inveigle implies enticing by cajoling or flattering.

fund-raisers inveigling wealthy alumni

decoy implies a luring into entrapment by artifice.

attempting to decoy the enemy into an ambush

tempt implies the presenting of an attraction so strong that it overcomes the restraints of conscience or better judgment.

tempted by the offer of money

seduce implies a leading astray by persuasion or false promises.

seduced by assurances of assistance

Examples of seduce in a Sentence

He tried to seduce her. She was seduced by an older man. The other team seduced him with a better offer.
Recent Examples on the Web In addition to arranging a meeting with a minor for lewd purposes, the man was arrested on suspicion of contacting a minor to commit a felony, attempted lewd acts on a child, trying to send harmful material to seduce a minor and resisting arrest, according to authorities. Jason Green, The Mercury News, 28 Feb. 2024 Dressed in a magnificent magenta number with a Chanel purse to match, Barbie makes her way to Ken’s Mojo Dojo Casa House, formerly the Barbie Dreamhouse, in order to seduce him. Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 7 Feb. 2024 Scene 4: Kitty seduces Oppenheimer Oppenheimer’s other principal love affair is with Kitty (Emily Blunt), who becomes his wife. Tim Grierson, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2024 Jones becomes a vampire, but his cohort’s wife (a fabulous Marlene Clark) comes looking for her husband, only to be seduced and then turned into a vampire by her new lover. Nicholas Bell, SPIN, 14 Feb. 2024 The album seduces with glee, setting soothing traditional harmonies atop varied tempos, feeling more dynamic and cohesive than the group’s previous albums in its embrace of electro-pop, funk, and folk fusions. Chinonso Ihekire, Rolling Stone, 14 Feb. 2024 California Vegas parties, celebrities and boozy lunches: How legal titan Tom Girardi seduced the State Bar March 6, 2021 In the 24 hours after publication, Girardi blitzed The Times with messages. Matt Hamilton, Los Angeles Times, 12 Feb. 2024 His scheming mother, a former Hong Kong supermodel, puts forth a proposal: attend his sister’s wedding at a tropical luxury resort and seduce a woman with money among the who’s who of the affluent. Ew Staff Published, EW.com, 20 Dec. 2023 In the last year, her bold, figurative paintings have seduced the art world on multiple continents. Dodie Kazanjian, Vogue, 30 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'seduce.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Late Latin seducere, from Latin, to lead away, from se- apart + ducere to lead — more at tow entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of seduce was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near seduce

Cite this Entry

“Seduce.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/seduce. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

seduce

verb
se·​duce si-ˈd(y)üs How to pronounce seduce (audio)
seduced; seducing
1
: to persuade to be disobedient or disloyal
2
: to persuade to do wrong
seduced into crime
3
: to persuade to have sexual intercourse especially for the first time
seducer noun
seduction
-ˈdək-shən
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on seduce

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