enticing

[en-tahy-sing]

adjective

1. attractive; alluring.

   The enticing aroma of cinnamon and cloves wafts from the kitchen.

Other Word Forms

• enticingly adverb
• enticingness noun
• nonenticing adjective
• nonenticingly adverb
• unenticing adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of enticing¹

entic(e) ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. )

Example Sentences

“Sanctions relief is no longer the enticing carrot that it once was.”

From Los Angeles Times

Wayne Rooney received a surprising phone call enticing him to join Manchester United when he was a teenager - from Paul Scholes.

From BBC

The growing allure of watches with A-list history was enticing people to peddle dubious timepieces.

From Los Angeles Times

The US Open's decision to revamp its mixed doubles - enticing the singles superstars with lucrative cash incentives, a shortened format and slot before the other main draws - certainly got people chatting.

From BBC

Increasingly, he found the concept of a mononym enticing.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• alluring 
• appealing 
• captivating 
• desirable 
• engaging 
• fascinating 
• inviting 
• tempting 

When To Use

What does enticing mean?

Enticing means having the effect of attracting, tempting, or drawing people in.Things that are described as enticing produce desire or attraction. The word is especially used to describe things that appeal to the senses. But something can be enticing for other reasons, as in The job offer was enticing due to the big salary increase, but I didn’t think the work would be fulfilling. The adjective enticing comes from the continuous tense (-ing form) of the verb entice, meaning to attract, allure, or tempt. (Entice is sometimes confused with the verb incite, which means to encourage, urge, prompt, or provoke someone to do something, especially something bad. Incite is usually used more negatively than entice.)Something that’s described as enticing is viewed as positive and desirous by the person whom it has enticed, but the word itself sometimes implies that such a thing serves to tempt people to do something that perhaps they shouldn’t, as in That chocolate is enticing, but I vowed to give up sweets for a while.Example: The enticing aroma of the roasted nuts draws people to the street cart.