%tempt%

v. i. To make an attempt; -- with upon. [ Obs. ] Sir T. Browne. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A essay, trial, or endeavor; an undertaking; an attack, or an effort to gain a point; esp. an unsuccessful, as contrasted with a successful, effort. [ 1913 Webster ]

By his blindness maimed for high attempts. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

Attempt to commit a crime (Law), such an intentional preparatory act as will apparently result, if not extrinsically hindered, in a crime which it was designed to effect. Wharton. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Attempt, Endeavor, Effort, Exertion, Trial. These words agree in the idea of calling forth our powers into action. Trial is the generic term; it denotes a putting forth of one's powers with a view to determine what they can accomplish; as, to make trial of one's strength. An attempt is always directed to some definite and specific object; as, “The attempt, and not the deed, confounds us.” Shak. An endeavor is a continued attempt; as, “His high endeavor and his glad success.” Cowper. Effort is a specific putting forth of strength in order to carry out an attempt. Exertion is the putting forth or active exercise of any faculty or power. “It admits of all degrees of effort and even natural action without effort.” C. J. Smith. See Try. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Capable of being attempted, tried, or attacked. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. One who attempts; one who essays anything. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. An assailant; also, a temper. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Disposed to attempt; adventurous. [ Obs. ] Daniel. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. contemptus, fr. contemnere: cf. OF. contempt. See Contemn. ] 1. The act of contemning or despising; the feeling with which one regards that which is esteemed mean, vile, or worthless; disdain; scorn. [ 1913 Webster ]

Criminal contempt of public feeling. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

Nothing, says Longinus, can be great, the contempt of which is great. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The state of being despised; disgrace; shame. [ 1913 Webster ]

Contempt and begarry hangs upon thy back. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. An act or expression denoting contempt. [ 1913 Webster ]

Little insults and contempts. Spectator. [ 1913 Webster ]

The contempt and anger of his lip. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Law) Disobedience of the rules, orders, or process of a court of justice, or of rules or orders of a legislative body; disorderly, contemptuous, or insolent language or behavior in presence of a court, tending to disturb its proceedings, or impair the respect due to its authority. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Contempt is in some jurisdictions extended so as to include publications reflecting injuriously on a court of justice, or commenting unfairly on pending proceedings; in other jurisdictions the courts are prohibited by statute or by the constitution from thus exercising this process.

Syn. -- Disdain; scorn; derision; mockery; contumely; neglect; disregard; slight. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality of being contemptible; contemptibleness. Speed. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. Worthy of contempt; deserving of scorn or disdain; mean; vile; despicable. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

The arguments of tyranny are ascontemptible as its force is dreadful. Burke. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Despised; scorned; neglected; abject. Locke. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Insolent; scornful; contemptuous. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

If she should make tender of her love, 't is very possible he 'll scorn it; for the man . . . hath a contemptible spirit. Shak.

Syn. -- Despicable; abject; vile; mean; base; paltry; worthless; sorry; pitiful; scurrile. See Contemptuous. -- Contemptible, Despicable, Pitiful, Paltry. Despicable is stronger than contemptible, as despise is stronger than contemn. It implies keen disapprobation, with a mixture of anger. A man is despicable chiefly for low actions which mark his life, such as servility, baseness, or mean adulation. A man is contemptible for mean qualities which distinguish his character, especially those which show him to be weak, foolish, or worthless. Treachery is despicable, egotism is contemptible. Pitiful and paltry are applied to cases which are beneath anger, and are simply contemptible in a high degree. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The state or quality of being contemptible, or of being despised. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a contemptible manner. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Manifesting or expressing contempt or disdain; scornful; haughty; insolent; disdainful. [ 1913 Webster ]

A proud, contemptuous behavior. Hammond. [ 1913 Webster ]

Savage invective and contemptuous sarcasm. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

Rome . . . entertained the most contemptuous opinion of the Jews. Atterbury.

Syn. -- Scornful; insolent; haughty; disdainful; supercilious; insulting; contumelious. -- Contemptuous, Contemptible. These words, from their similarity of sound, are sometimes erroneously interchanged, as when a person speaks of having “a very contemptible opinion of another.” Contemptible is applied to that which is the object of contempt; as, contemptible conduct; acontemptible fellow. Contemptuous is applied to that which indicates contempt; as, a contemptuous look; a contemptuous remark; contemptuous treatment. A person, or whatever is personal, as an action, an expression, a feeling, an opinion, may be either contemptuous or contemptible; a thing may be contemptible, but can not be contemptuous. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a contemptuous manner; with scorn or disdain; despitefully. [ 1913 Webster ]

The apostles and most eminent Christians were poor, and used contemptuously. Jer. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Disposition to or manifestion of contempt; insolence; haughtiness. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ NL., from Gr. &unr_; beyond, after + &unr_; a falling upon, fr. &unr_; to fall in or upon; &unr_; in + &unr_; to fall. ] (Chron.) The suppression of a day in the calendar to prevent the date of the new moon being set a day too late, or the suppression of the bissextile day once in 134 years. The opposite to this is the proemptosis, or the addition of a day every 330 years, and another every 2, 400 years. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To tempt exceedingly, or beyond the power of resistance. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To attempt again. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Tempted; p. pr. & vb. n. Tempting. ] [ OE. tempten, tenten, from OF. tempter, tenter, F. tenter, fr. L. tentare, temptare, to handle, feel, attack, to try, put to the test, urge, freq. from tendere, tentum, and tensum, to stretch. See Thin, and cf. Attempt, Tend, Taunt, Tent a pavilion, Tent to probe. ] 1. To put to trial; to prove; to test; to try. [ 1913 Webster ]

God did tempt Abraham. Gen. xxii. 1. [ 1913 Webster ]

Ye shall not tempt the Lord your God. Deut. vi. 16. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To lead, or endeavor to lead, into evil; to entice to what is wrong; to seduce. [ 1913 Webster ]

Every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. James i. 14. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To endeavor to persuade; to induce; to invite; to incite; to provoke; to instigate. [ 1913 Webster ]

Tempt not the brave and needy to despair. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

Nor tempt the wrath of heaven's avenging Sire. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. To endeavor to accomplish or reach; to attempt. [ 1913 Webster ]

Ere leave be given to tempt the nether skies. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- To entice; allure; attract; decoy; seduce. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality or state of being temptable; lability to temptation. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Capable of being tempted; liable to be tempted. Cudworth. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OF. temptation, tentation, F. tentation, L. tentatio. ] 1. The act of tempting, or enticing to evil; seduction. [ 1913 Webster ]

When the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season. Luke iv. 13. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The state of being tempted, or enticed to evil. [ 1913 Webster ]

Lead us not into temptation. Luke xi. 4. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. That which tempts; an inducement; an allurement, especially to something evil. [ 1913 Webster ]

Dare to be great, without a guilty crown;
View it, and lay the bright temptation down. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Having no temptation or motive; as, a temptationless sin. [ R. ] Hammond. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Tempting. [ Prov. Eng. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who tempts or entices; especially, Satan, or the Devil, regarded as the great enticer to evil. “Those who are bent to do wickedly will never want tempters to urge them on.” Tillotson. [ 1913 Webster ]

So glozed the Tempter, and his proem tuned. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Adapted to entice or allure; attractive; alluring; seductive; enticing; as, tempting pleasures. -- Tempt"ing*ly, adv. -- Tempt"ing*ness, n. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A woman who entices. [ 1913 Webster ]

She was my temptress, the foul provoker. Sir W. Scott. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who does not tempt, or is not a tempter. [ Obs. ] Wyclif. [ 1913 Webster ]