Strong desires to do something, especially something that you know is wrong or bad for you.
From Latin 'temptare' (to test, try, or entice). Originally meant 'to test someone's faith or virtue,' which is why religious texts focus heavily on resisting temptation.
The word 'tempt' comes from the same Latin root as 'attempt'—both mean 'to try'—because temptation is basically trying to get you to do something you shouldn't, and you're trying to resist it!
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