tempt

tempt 是动词，核心表示用诱人的事物引人去做某事，也可表示某物很有吸引力，或冒险去招惹命运等不利后果。

💡 记忆钩子

想象有人把诱人的东西伸到你面前，试探你会不会伸手：它可以引诱某人做不该做的事，也可以说某物吸引人；如果你去“试探”命运，就是明知有风险还主动招惹它。

📝 学习建议

不要把 tempt 当作中性的“尝试”；“尝试”通常用 try 或 attempt，而 tempt 往往带有诱惑、风险或不该做的意味。
先掌握“引诱某人做某事”和“被某物吸引”，再记固定搭配“tempt fate”；后者通常不是字面上的“诱惑命运”。

📖 中文释义

verb

core 引诱某人做某事

📖 指用奖励、好处或其他诱人的东西，使某人想做尤其是不该做的事。重点是“把诱惑伸到对方面前，试探对方会不会动心”。

💡 常用结构是“tempt somebody to do something”或“tempt somebody with something”，也常用于被动结构“be tempted to do something”。它通常带有轻微的责备、危险或自制力受到考验的意味；不要把它用于完全中性的建议或邀请。

transitive

The promise of easy money tempted him to break the rules.

轻松赚钱的承诺诱使他违反了规定。

Don't tempt me to skip work and go to the beach.

别诱惑我不去上班跑到海滩去。
common 吸引；诱人

📖 指某种东西本身很有吸引力，使人产生想要它或尝试它的念头，不一定真的有人在主动诱导。

💡 常见结构是“something tempts somebody”和“be tempted by something”，也可以说“be tempted to do something”。主语通常是食物、价格、机会等有吸引力的事物；表达“感到想要”时，英语里常用被动形式而不是直接说自己在诱惑别人。

transitive

The smell of fresh bread tempted me to buy a loaf.

新鲜面包的香味诱得我买了一条。
common 冒险招惹；试探命运

📖 常用于“tempt fate”这一固定搭配，表示明知某事可能带来坏结果，却仍采取冒险行动，仿佛在试探命运会不会惩罚自己。

💡 最常见的结构是“tempt fate”，有时也见于“tempt providence”。这里的宾语通常不是普通的人或物，而是命运、天意等抽象对象；不要按“诱惑某人”的普通结构直译。

transitive

Taking the mountain road in this storm would be tempting fate.

在这场暴风雨中走山路，简直是在冒险招惹命运。

tempts present,singular,third-person tempting participle,present tempted participle,past tempted past

📘 英文释义 (WordNet) 共 6 组

induce into action by using one's charm

同义词集: charm influence tempt

She charmed him into giving her all his money

上位: persuade

provoke someone to do something through (often false or exaggerated) promises or persuasion

同义词集: entice lure tempt

He lured me into temptation

上位: provoke, stimulate 下位: bait, call, decoy, hook, seduce, snare, stool

try presumptuously

同义词集: tempt

St. Anthony was tempted in the desert

上位: persuade

dispose or incline or entice to

同义词集: tempt allure

We were tempted by the delicious-looking food

上位: bid, invite

give rise to a desire by being attractive or inviting

同义词集: tempt invite

the window displays tempted the shoppers

上位: excite, shake, shake up, stimulate, stir

try to seduce

同义词集: tempt

上位: arouse, excite, sex, turn on, wind up

🌳 词源

源自拉丁语 temptare，原有“触碰、试探、测试、诱惑”等相关含义，后来经古法语进入英语。

From Middle English tempten, from Old French tempter (French: tenter), from Latin temptare, from tentare (“to handle, touch, try, test, tempt”), frequentative of tendere (“to stretch”). Displaced native English costning (“temptation”).

🔄 变式

tempted past tempting present tempts present

🏷 单词标签 & 词根