Meaning & use
giving in to temptation
Last updated
Meanings
phrasefixed phrase
The act of finally doing something you know you should not do because you want to.
Grammar: Used as a noun phrase: it can be the subject or object of a sentence.
Patterns
- giving in to temptation
- give in to temptation
After a week of dieting, giving in to temptation and eating cake felt wonderful.
She regretted giving in to temptation and buying the expensive shoes.
Giving in to temptation once in a while is normal.
phrasefixed phrase
Yielding to a strong urge or desire, often one that is hard to resist.
Grammar: Often used with 'to' before the specific temptation: 'giving in to the temptation to quit'.
Patterns
- giving in to the temptation to do something
He kept giving in to the temptation to check his phone during dinner.
They talked about giving in to the temptation to spend all their savings.
Common combinations
- giving in to temptation
- Giving in to temptation is not always a bad thing.
- resist temptation
- She tried hard to resist temptation.
- yield to temptation
- He yielded to temptation and had another slice.
Synonyms and how they differ
- succumbing to temptation
- More formal and often suggests a weaker resistance.
- caving in
- Informal; means the same but is less specific about temptation.
Opposites
Word family
- give in phrasal verb
- To stop resisting; to surrender.
- temptation noun
- A desire to do something, especially something unwise.
Practice
Which sentence uses the phrase correctly?
Choose one answer.
The correct phrase is 'give in to temptation'. 'Give in' needs 'to' before the noun. 'Give up' means to quit, not to yield.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “giving in to temptation”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.