seductive

adjective

se·​duc·​tive si-ˈdək-tiv How to pronounce seductive (audio)
: tending to seduce : having alluring or tempting qualities
a seductive, sometimes disingenuous manThatcher Freund
a seductive aroma
seductively adverb
seductiveness noun

Examples of seductive in a Sentence

the seductive power of advertising people always remarked on the cult leader's seductive personality
Recent Examples on the Web Cue up your favorite Harry Styles song and put on your best One Direction merch because the official first look at The Idea of You is finally here — and Anne Hathaway and Nicholas Galitzine deliver one seductive duet. Sydney Bucksbaum, EW.com, 6 Mar. 2024 In March of 1999, Cruel Intentions hit theaters, tantalizing audiences with its take on teen prep school culture and some of the characters involved in its seductive, sometimes dangerous, hierarchy. Eric Todisco, Peoplemag, 4 Mar. 2024 Their vocals can range from seductive to threatening: meowing, purring, growling, hissing and caterwauling. Anthony Ham, New York Times, 29 Feb. 2024 Ever seductive, the Strip continues to tempt visitors with its unmatched indulgences: Win a fortune on black, fall in love by the fountains of the Bellagio, get married by Elvis—or snag a quickie divorce. Chris Carra, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Feb. 2024 As Lady Margot, member of that aforementioned Sisterhood that has everything to do with Paul’s destiny and nothing to do with traveling pants, Léa Seydoux is seductive and secretive. Tom Gliatto, Peoplemag, 29 Feb. 2024 For a cauliflower admirer, a pan full of hot, roasted florets is just too seductive to resist. Melissa Clark, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Feb. 2024 From Netflix and Tyler Perry studios, Mea Culpa stars Kelly Rowland as criminal defense attorney Mea Harper, who takes on the murder case of seductive artist Zyair Malloy (Trevante Rhodes). Monica Mercuri, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2024 The seductive opening has young Mexican immigrant Estela (Anna Díaz), recently arrived in New York, navigating her way with minimal English from the Staten Island ferry by subway to The Grill, a franchise restaurant that caters to tourist traffic in the heart of Times Square. David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Feb. 2024

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

Word History

First Known Use

1651, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of seductive was in 1651

Dictionary Entries Near seductive

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

seductive

adjective
se·​duc·​tive si-ˈdək-tiv How to pronounce seductive (audio)
: tending to seduce : alluring, tempting
seductively adverb
seductiveness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on seductive

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!