Right Word/Wrong Deed

temptation

noun

a desire to do something, esp. something wrong or unwise : he resisted the temptation to call Celia at the office | we almost gave in to temptation.

• a thing or course of action that attracts or tempts someone : the temptations of life in New York.

• ( the Temptation) the tempting of Jesus by the Devil (see Matt. 4).[see Faust, see Pinocchio & Lampwick]

ORIGIN Middle English : from Old French temptacion, from Latin temptatio(n-), from temptare ‘handle, test, try.’

THE RIGHT WORD [The Wrong Deed]

When we are under the influence of a powerful attraction, particularly to something that is wrong or unwise, we are tempted.

Entice implies that a crafty or skillful person has attracted us by offering a reward or pleasure (: she was enticed into joining the group by a personal plea from its handsome leader), while inveigle suggests that we are enticed through the use of deception or cajolery ( | inveigled into supporting the plan).

If someone lures us, it suggests that we have been tempted or influenced for fraudulent or destructive purposes or attracted to something harmful or evil (: lured by gang members).

Allure may also suggest that we have been deliberately tempted against our will, but the connotations here are often sexual (: allured by her dark green eyes).

Seduce carries heavy sexual connotations (: seduced by an older woman), although it can simply mean prompted to action against our will ( | seduced by a clever sales pitch).

While beguile at one time referred exclusively to the use of deception to lead someone astray, nowadays it can also refer to the use of subtle devices to engage someone's attention (: a local festival designed to beguile the tourists).

Entice

ORIGIN Middle English (also in the sense [incite, provoke] ; formerly also as intice): from Old French enticier, probably from a base meaning ‘set on fire,’ based on an alteration of Latin titio ‘firebrand.’

inveigle

ORIGIN late 15th cent.(in the sense [beguile, deceive] ; formerly also as enveigle): from Anglo-Norman French envegler, alteration of Old French aveugler ‘to blind,’ from aveugle ‘blind.’

lures

ORIGIN Middle English : from Old French luere, of Germanic origin; probably related to German Luder ‘bait.’

Allure

ORIGIN late Middle English (in the sense [tempt, entice] ): from Old French aleurier ‘attract,’ from a- (from Latin ad ‘to’ ) + luere ‘a lure’ (originally a falconry term).

Seduce

ORIGIN late 15th cent.(originally in the sense [persuade (someone) to abandon their duty] ): from Latin seducere, from se- ‘away, apart’ + ducere ‘to lead.’

beguile

ORIGIN Middle English (in the sense [deceive, deprive of by fraud] ): from be- [thoroughly] + obsolete guile [to deceive] (see guile ).

deceive

ORIGIN Middle English : from Old French deceivre, from Latin decipere ‘catch, ensnare, cheat.’

guile

ORIGIN Middle English : from Old French, probably from Old Norse; compare with wile .

wile

ORIGIN Middle English : perhaps from an Old Norse word related to vél ‘craft.’

^{cleave 1}

verb ( past clove |klōv|or cleft |kleft|or cleaved |klēvd|; past part. cloven |ˈklōvən|or cleft or cleaved) [ trans. ]

split or sever (something), esp. along a natural line or grain : the large ax his father used to cleave wood for the fire.

• split (a molecule) by breaking a particular chemical bond.

• make a way through (something) forcefully, as if by splitting it apart

^{cleave 2}

verb [ intrans. ] ( cleave to) poetic/literary

stick fast to : Rose's mouth was dry, her tongue cleaving to the roof of her mouth.

• adhere strongly to (a particular pursuit or belief)

• become very strongly involved with or emotionally attached to (someone)

ORIGIN late Middle English : from Latin praegnant-, probably from prae ‘before’ + the base of gnasci ‘be born.’