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seduce
[ si-doos, -dyoos ]
verb (used with object)
- to lead astray, as from duty, rectitude, or the like; corrupt.
Synonyms: deceive, lure, allure, decoy, inveigle, beguile
Antonyms: repel
- to persuade or induce to have sexual intercourse.
- to lead or draw away, as from principles, faith, or allegiance:
He was seduced by the prospect of gain.
- to win over; attract; entice:
a supermarket seducing customers with special sales.
seduce
/ sɪˈdjuːs /
verb
- to persuade to engage in sexual intercourse
- to lead astray, as from the right action
- to win over, attract, or lure
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Derived Forms
- seˈducible, adjective
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Other Words From
- se·ducer noun
- se·duci·ble se·ducea·ble adjective
- se·ducing·ly adverb
- unse·duci·ble adjective
- unse·duci·ble·ness noun
- unse·duci·bly adverb
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Word History and Origins
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Word History and Origins
Origin of seduce1
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Synonym Study
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Example Sentences
The jury may have been swayed by the argument that Ballard had seduced Norman in a story familiar in every seduction novel.
Over time, Gore was seduced by what he calls ecology’s “big, beautiful theories” for how living beings can exist in complex communities.
Silicon Valley has long been seduced by the idea of augmented reality and has struggled nearly as long to make the technology useful.
In coming decades, technology will more compellingly seduce our attention, will escape its silicon-and-glass cage, will animate the inanimate, and even shape our biology.
Then the Pool Boy Chronicles, in which Falwell’s wife allegedly seduced a 20-year-old pool boy into a relationship that involved Falwell attending for the purposes of video documentation.
“Precisely to seduce you…so you are kind to me,” says Castro.
Before long, their husbands were too busy trying to seduce their wives to keep up clashes.
Innuendo: Two “punishers” strip down and start to seduce Theon as part of the mindgames enacted by his captor.
The two of them would seduce groupies, but they had to share a hotel room.
Their extreme objectification is never hidden, and they often seduce and distract the suave spy.
At Stettin, during the armistice, he entered the fortress and tried to seduce the governor, an ex-Jacobin and erstwhile friend.
He is too scrupulous to seek to seduce the wife of another; he even fears to contract an illicit intimacy with a maid or a widow.
What is it that gives evil governments their influence, but their power to terrify, and their wealth and honours to seduce?
A whisper at Ispahan, 'Kerbogha is of the Ismaelians; he moves disguised as a dervish to seduce the emirs.'
His last resource was an attempt to seduce the loyalty of the besiegers.
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About This Word
What does seduce mean?
To seduce someone is to make them want to engage in sexual activity with you, especially in a subtle or manipulative way.
Seduce is also commonly used in a more general way meaning to tempt or influence someone to do something, especially something bad or something they wouldn’t normally do. Though this sense of the word does not involve sex, it’s still often thought of as a metaphor for the type of seducing that does.
Both senses of the word often imply a subtle manipulation in which one’s motives are hidden.
People or things that seduce are said to be seductive. The act of seducing is called seduction.
Example: They’re going to try to seduce you with flattery and a fancy dinner, but try to focus on the terms of the deal before you make your decision.
Where does seduce come from?
Seduce comes from the Latin verb sēdūcere, meaning “to lead aside.” (The root dūcere also forms the basis of words like induce, produce, and reduce.) The first records of seduce in English come from the 1470s. Its original use referred to persuading a soldier or servant to desert or change sides. From there, it began to be used in a more general way to refer to influencing someone to do something wrong. Only later did it come to be used in reference to making someone want to have sex.
Today, this is the most commonly used meaning of seduce—and the meaning that’s associated with just about every use of the word, even when it is used more generally. James Bond is notorious for seducing women in this way. This type of seduction is typically thought to be achieved by making yourself irresistible through the way you act or the things you say.
More generally, to seduce someone is to lead them astray or lure them in. This usually involves trying to get them to do something corrupt or at least something they wouldn’t normally do. In Star Wars, villains are always trying to seduce people to the dark side. But it’s not only people who seduce. Sometimes, a person is said to have been seduced by greed or the lure of success. The goal of advertising is sometimes said to be to seduce people to buy a product.
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What are some other forms of seduce?
- seduction (noun)
- seductive (adjective)
- seductively (adverb)
- seductiveness (noun)
- seducer (noun)
- unseductive (adjective)
What are some synonyms for seduce?
What are some words that share a root or word element with seduce?
What are some words that often get used in discussing seduce?
How is seduce used in real life?
Seduce often has a somewhat negative connotation that implies that such actions are devious and manipulative. It’s very commonly used in reference to sex, but it’s also commonly used in a general way.
There's a false narrative propagated in seminary to men going into public ministry that women will forever be attempting to seduce them.
Statistics show the opposite. Men in power use their power to seduce/abuse women.
But the Christian community largely believes the falsehood
— David Dzimianski (@DavidDzimianski) May 20, 2020
Landed at LAX. Sleepy. Tomorrow I shall bring young scientists to the dark side, that is, seduce them into becoming patent attorneys.
— brunsli (@brunsli) September 19, 2008
“Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can’t lose.”- Bill Gates
— John Rampton (@johnrampton) May 22, 2020
Try using seduce!
Is seduce used correctly in the following sentence?
Don’t let him seduce you with his lies and empty promises.
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