seductive

[si-duhk-tiv]

adjective

1. tending to seduce; enticing; beguiling; captivating.

   a seductive smile.

   Synonyms: alluring, tempting
   Antonyms: repellent

seductive

/ sɪˈdʌktɪv /

adjective

1. tending to seduce or capable of seducing; enticing; alluring

Other Word Forms

• seductively adverb
• seductiveness noun
• unseductive adjective
• unseductively adverb
• unseductiveness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of seductive¹

First recorded in 1755–65; seduct(ion) + -ive

Example Sentences

Jay Roach’s champagne-fizzy “The Roses” is a seductive attempt to lure them back into theaters.

From Los Angeles Times

All these libtard delusions or abstractions may or may not involve a global conspiracy of baby-eating celebrities — such theories are seductive, but not mandatory — but whatever.

From Salon

Stripped of his good looks and seductive accent, Colin Farrell still managed to mesmerize in “The Penguin,” which not only resuscitated an exhausted genre but took it to a new level of storytelling.

From Los Angeles Times

On this song in particular, there’s both this seductive whisper and this exaggerated, bimbo breathiness.

From Los Angeles Times

“I am living proof of pie’s seductive powers,” she tells her listeners.

From Salon

Related Words

• attractive 
• captivating 
• charming 
• enticing 
• fascinating 
• flirtatious 
• inviting 
• irresistible 
• provocative 
• tempting 

When To Use

What does seductive mean?

Seductive is used to describe someone who makes you want to engage in sexual activity with them, especially in a subtle or manipulative way.Seductive is also commonly used in a more general way to describe someone or something that tempts or influences someone to do something, especially something bad or something they wouldn’t normally do. Though this meaning of the word does not involve sex, it’s still often associated with the sense of the word that does.Both senses of the word often imply a subtle manipulation in which one’s motives are hidden.Seductive is the adjective form of the verb seduce. The act of seducing is called seduction.Example: There’s nothing I find more seductive in a person than the confidence to be who they are.