Tempted means made to want to do something, especially something forbidden or risky, often by an alluring influence or offer. It denotes a state of being enticed or drawn toward a course of action, sometimes against one’s better judgment. In context it also covers the feeling of consideration followed by a choice to resist or yield.
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- You may mispronounce by stressing the second syllable; keep the flagship two-syllable rhythm with primary stress on the first syllable. - A frequent slip is turning the /t/ into a soft /d/ in rapid speech; practice crisper /t/ release before the /ɪ/ and /d/. - Vowel quality on the first syllable varies by speaker; aim for a short front /ɛ/ as in 'bet' rather than a long /iː/.
- US: two-syllable TEMPT-ed with a bright /ɛ/. Ensure the /t/ is aspirated and the /d/ is voiced. - UK: similar structure, but some speakers have a tighter mouth and slightly longer vowel in the first syllable; keep /t/ release clean. - AU: often slightly flatter vowels; maintain the two-syllable beat and crisp end consonant; avoid turning /d/ into a soft /t/ in fast speech.
"She was tempted to check her phone during the meeting, but she kept focus instead."
"The lure of a higher salary tempted him to relocate for the job."
"They were tempted to cheat, but chose honesty after thinking it through."
"The dessert looked delicious, and he was tempted to take just a bite."
Tempted derives from the Latin temptare, meaning to try, test, or attempt. The root tempt- appears in Old French temptier, which carried the sense of trying or testing. English borrowed the term as tempted in the late Middle English period, around the 13th to 14th centuries, preserving the core sense of attempting or inviting a person toward something desirable yet risky. The word evolved through semantic extension: from the general act of testing or provoking a response to the more specific sense of enticing someone into action, particularly actions considered morally or practically questionable. In religious and moral discourse, tempted often contrasts with resisting, framing moral choice. Over time, it broadened to everyday usage such as being tempted by a sale, a snack, or a risky opportunity, retaining the core idea of an external or internal pull that may challenge judgment. First known use is evidenced in Middle English literature and religious writings where “tempt” and its participial form “tempted” appear in moral narratives. The modern sense emphasizes a feeling of being drawn toward a course of action, with potential for yielding or resisting based on judgment and circumstance.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "tempted" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "tempted" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "tempted"
-ted sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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Pronounce as /ˈtɛmptɪd/ in US and UK vowels. Stress falls on the first syllable: TEMPT-ed. The /t/ is a lightly aspirated stop at the start, the /ɛm/ sounds like 'em' with a short e, and the final /tɪd/ lands as a reduced or quick -ed. In careful speech, ensure the /t/ before -ed is a clear stop, not a flap. Overall, aim for a clean two-syllable rhythm: TEMPT-ed with even tempo.
Common errors include turning the first vowel into a longer /eɪ/ as in 'tem' vs 'tamp', or softening the final /d/ to a /t/ in rapid speech, making it /ˈtɛmptɪt/. Another frequent slip is reducing the second syllable too much, yielding /ˈtɛmptɪ/ with an almost inaudible -d. Correction: keep the final consonant crisp as /d/ and ensure the first vowel is short /ɛ/ as in 'bet'. Practice with minimal pairs and careful listening to isolate the /d/ at the end.
US/UK/AU share the /ˈtɛmptɪd/ skeleton, but vowel quality can differ: US often has a slightly shorter /ɛ/ and crisper /t/; UK can have a broader /e/ in some accents and a more pronounced T in stressed syllable; Australian tends to have a more centralized /ɪ/ and less rhoticity can affect surrounding vowels faintly. The primary difference is subtle vowel color and ticker of the /t/ release due to flapping in some US dialects; however, the word remains two syllables with stress on the first.
The difficulty lies in maintaining clear /t/ onset and final /d/ in quick speech, plus the short central vowel in the second syllable. Some speakers reduce /ɪ/ toward a schwa, which blurs syllable boundaries and makes it sound like /ˈtɛmʃd/ or /ˈtɛmptəd/. Focus on crisp initial stop consonant, a clear middle /ɛm/ vowel, and a distinct /d/ at the end; practicing with slow pacing helps stabilize the two-note beat of TEMPT-ed.
A distinctive nuance is the possible subtle voicing of the final /d/ depending on speaker speed and following sounds; in rapid speech the /d/ may be lightly released or partially devoiced when fast, so you might hear a near-/t/ quality. Ensure you keep a voiced /d/ at the end in careful speech, but recognize casual speech often compresses it slightly.
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- Shadowing: listen to native speakers saying tempted, imitate in real-time for 10 minutes daily. - Minimal pairs: tempted vs temptid (not real word) or tempted vs tempted (with alternative stress) to emphasize two-syllable rhythm; practice with words like attempted, temptation to get the flow. - Rhythm: clap 2-beat rhythm TEMPT-ed, then speed up to normal, then fast; keep equal stress on first syllable. - Stress practice: mark primary stress, then secondary quick stresses if applicable in connected speech. - Recording: record yourself reading a paragraph containing tempted repeatedly; compare to a reference.
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