noun

• 1The desire to do something, especially something wrong or unwise.

  ‘he resisted the temptation to call Celia at the office’

  More example sentences

  • ‘we almost gave in to temptation’
  • ‘So James tells us where we must look for the source of our temptations to do wrong.’
  • ‘This division causes man to feel a dual temptation, the desire to rise to God and the downward pull of Satan.’
  • ‘In other words, once we are in heaven with all the saints, all temptations and all desires for sin will be done away with.’
  • ‘It was hard to resist the temptation to eat the oranges as fast as we picked them.’
  • ‘Even teachers with stiff upper lips could not resist their temptation to do a jig.’
  • ‘I resisted the strong temptation to tell him to go jump off a cliff, and kept quiet.’
  • ‘You can then refer back to the list when you feel like a cigarette and it will help you to resist the temptation.’
  • ‘Try to resist the temptation of eating the roasted walnuts before you need them!’
  • ‘And no one can resist the temptation to sprint along the sand and leap into the ocean.’
  • ‘It sounds basic, but it was important to resist the temptation to overfill the programme.’
  • ‘Lily says she resists the great temptations but the little ones pull her down.’
  • ‘Politicians should resist the temptation to isolate themselves from the people they govern.’
  • ‘Resist the temptation to buy extended warranties when purchasing electrical equipment.’
  • ‘It is far better, therefore, to resist the temptation to make broad ranging policy statements.’
  • ‘I'm going to resist the temptation to describe it and instead I'll let my pictures do the talking.’
  • ‘They resisted the temptation to strip back the stonework, choosing instead to leave it whitewashed.’
  • ‘Unlike certain other New World countries, Chile has so far resisted the temptation to push up its prices.’
  • ‘I've resisted the temptation to tune into any of Miami's sporting chat shows over the past seven days.’
  • ‘Members of the public must also recognise that they have a role to play in stamping out graft and must therefore resist all temptations to engage in the scourge.’
  • ‘He resisted all the temptations embraced by most modern travelers and explorers to carry elaborate equipment, study the area in detail and learn the language.’

  Synonyms

  desire, urge, itch, impulse, inclination

  View synonyms

  1. 1.1A thing that attracts or tempts someone.
     ‘the temptations of life in London’
     More example sentences

     • ‘I have in the past succumbed to temptation, lured by attractive coloured labels.’
     • ‘Stripped of our comforts and distractions, we continue to face our strongest temptations.’
     • ‘From furniture to fashion, the wide array of stalls offer great temptations to those with a discerning taste.’
     • ‘Our minds are bombarded daily by worldly cares, temptations and allurements that draw us away from Christ and his Word.’
     • ‘So stay close to him, and watch as the devil flees and his temptations become less and less attractive.’
     • ‘They have given me their solemn pledge, and I hope that they will be able to resist the many temptations around them.’
     • ‘He resisted the temptations sent before Him and set an example for the entire world to follow.’
     • ‘And it has become impossible to resist the temptations of the market economy.’
     • ‘Low-carb dieters must resist such temptations as potatoes, rice, bread, pasta and sugar.’
     • ‘British politicians think that we are powerless to resist the temptations of convenience food.’
     • ‘The truth is even sadder: they do not know how to resist the temptation of power.’
     • ‘The gluttonous greed of the Cookie Monster can never resist the temptation of cookies.’
     • ‘Of course you can give up, if you can resist the temptation of strong flavours.’
     • ‘She resisted the temptation of movies because she wanted to get done with college first.’
     Synonyms

     lure, allurement, enticement, seduction, attraction, draw, pull, invitation

     allure, appeal, attraction, attractiveness, fascination

     View synonyms
  2. 1.2the TemptationThe tempting of Jesus by the Devil (see Matt. 4).