seductive

seductive — adjective

1. very attractive in a way that makes someone feel romantic or physical desire tow

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

very attractive in a way that makes someone feel romantic or physical desire toward you.

Example

Zola wore a long dark dress that gave her a seductive look.

attributive use before noun: seductive look

The singer's slow, seductive voice kept the audience completely silent.

Common collocations
  • seductive look
  • seductive voice
  • seductive smile
  • seductive woman
  • seductive dress
Synonyms
  • alluring

    suggests a mysterious or magical charm, less directly sexual than seductive

  • provocative

    stronger emphasis on deliberately causing desire, often with a challenging tone

  • sexy

    more casual and direct; lacks the sense of deliberate enticement that seductive carries

Antonyms
  • repulsive

    causing strong dislike or disgust, the opposite of attracting someone

Usage Note

Frequently used before a noun (a seductive whisper, a seductive gaze) or after a linking verb (She looked seductive, He seemed seductive). The connotation can be admiring or mildly disapproving depending on the speaker's attitude.

Common Mistakes

He gave her a seductive gift.
He gave her a romantic gift.
seductive describes a person's appearance or behaviour meant to attract, not an object offered as a kind gesture.

2. so appealing that it strongly tempts you to accept, try, or believe it, even whe

2.adjectiveB2
Definition

so appealing that it strongly tempts you to accept, try, or believe it, even when doing so may be unwise or impractical.

Example

The company offered Sahil a seductive salary package to move abroad.

collocation: seductive salary package

Karim found the Dubai offer seductive—triple salary—but the family sacrifice was too great.

contrastive pattern: seductive offer vs. hidden cost

Common collocations
  • seductive offer
  • seductive idea
  • seductive argument
  • seductive promise
  • seductive lifestyle
Synonyms
  • enticing

    suggests an opportunity you find hard to refuse; slightly less emotional than seductive

  • tempting

    focuses on the pull toward doing something you know you should resist; stronger moral overtones

  • captivating

    emphasises holding your attention rather than making you want to act

Antonyms

Usage Note

Unlike sense 1, this sense does not relate to sex or romance. It describes offers, ideas, images, or lifestyles that seem very attractive but often have hidden drawbacks. Common in business, politics, and lifestyle writing.

Common Mistakes

I bought a seductive car.
I bought a beautiful car.
seductive is too strong for a simple purchase decision; use it only when the attraction feels powerful enough to override good judgment.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/2

Seductive (sense 2), enticing, tempting, captivating, and alluring all describe something that strongly attracts you, but they differ in the kind of pull and its trustworthiness. Seductive carries a hint of danger — what looks seductive may lead you into a mistake (a seductive offer that costs more than you expect). Enticing focuses on the pleasure of the experience itself (an enticing menu). Tempting has a moral flavour — you know you should resist (a tempting piece of cake on a diet). Captivating is about holding your attention, not about making you act (a captivating story). Alluring suggests a mysterious, almost magical charm (an alluring melody from a distant room). A seductive deal might make you sign; a tempting one makes you hesitate; a captivating idea makes you want to learn more; an alluring vision makes you dream.

enticingtemptingcaptivatingalluring

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

  • dangerously seductive
  • irresistibly seductive
  • strangely seductive

Phrases

  • seductive nature of something

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Seductive comes from Latin 'seducere' meaning 'to lead aside or astray' (se- 'apart, away' + ducere 'to lead'). It entered English in the 1500s with the sense of persuading someone to abandon their duty or loyalty. The sexual meaning developed later, and the modern sense of a tempting but possibly misleading attraction reconnects with the original Latin idea of being led away from the right path.