inviting

inviting — adjective

1. having qualities that make people feel welcome and drawn to something — like a w

1.形容詞B1
釋義

having qualities that make people feel welcome and drawn to something — like a warm room, a friendly smile, or a pleasant smell that makes you want to stay or try something.

例句

The warm fireplace and soft chairs made the cabin feel inviting after the long hike.

subject (place) + feel inviting — describing atmosphere

Maja's inviting smile helped the new students relax on their first day of school.

inviting smile — describing a person's expression

同義詞
  • welcoming

    focuses more on people or atmosphere making you feel accepted; stronger for social settings

  • appealing

    broader — describes anything that attracts interest or desire, not necessarily through warmth

  • tempting

    stronger pull toward something desirable, often food or an offer

  • attractive

    general term for something pleasing; less specific about making someone feel welcome

反義詞
  • uninviting

    the direct opposite — cold, unwelcoming, or unappealing

  • repellent

    stronger — causes people to stay away rather than just not attract

用法筆記

Commonly describes places (rooms, homes, restaurants), food (aromas, displays, arrangements), and people's expressions (smiles, gestures, tone). Can appear in both attributive position (an inviting offer) and predicative position (the garden looked inviting).

常見錯誤

❌The soup was very inviting hot.
✅The soup was hot and inviting.
💡inviting is an adjective; do not use it as an adverb to modify another adjective.
❌She gave me an inviting look to sit.
✅She gave me an inviting look, so I sat down.
💡the inviting look already means 'encouraging'; do not add an infinitive to repeat that idea.

2. appearing so attractive or easy to target that it draws hostile attention and ca

2.形容詞B2
釋義

appearing so attractive or easy to target that it draws hostile attention and causes trouble for the person or thing involved.

例句

The politician's careless remark became an inviting target for journalists.

an inviting target for [critics / press / opponents]

Sahil knew that his unpopular opinion would make him an inviting target for criticism.

make + someone + an inviting target for criticism

同義詞
  • vulnerable

    focuses on weakness rather than attraction; lacks the 'apparently appealing' element

  • exposed

    emphasizes lack of protection rather than being a tempting target

反義詞
  • safe

    opposite in outcome — not vulnerable to attack or criticism

  • fortified

    implies strong defenses that discourage attack

用法筆記

Almost always appears in the fixed phrase 'an inviting target' (or, less frequently, 'an inviting prospect' used ironically). The target is not literally attractive — the word describes vulnerability. The person or thing drawn to the target has hostile or exploitative intent. This sense never describes physical appearance or social warmth.

常見錯誤

❌The cake was an inviting target for the children.
✅The cake was an inviting target for hungry ants.
💡sense 2 requires negative/hostile intent from the actor, not innocent attraction.
❌His friendly manner made him an inviting person.
✅His friendly manner made him a welcoming person.
💡sense 2 is specifically about vulnerability to harm, not positive social appeal.