allure

1 of 2

verb

al·lure ə-ˈlu̇r

allured; alluring

Synonyms of allure next

transitive verb

: to entice by charm or attraction

… I had been fool enough to allow myself to be so quickly allured by her charms …—

Anthony Trollope

allurement

ə-ˈlu̇r-mənt

noun

allure

2 of 2

noun

: power of attraction or fascination : charm

the allure of fame

rare books that hold a special allure for collectors

Choose the Right Synonym for allure

attract, allure, charm, captivate, fascinate, enchant mean to draw another by exerting a powerful influence.

attract applies to any degree or kind of ability to exert influence over another.

students attracted by the school's locale

allure implies an enticing by what is fair, pleasing, or seductive.

an alluring smile

charm implies the power of casting a spell over the person or thing affected and so compelling a response

charmed by their hospitality

, but it may, like captivate, suggest no more than evoking delight or admiration.

her performances captivated audiences

fascinate suggests a magical influence and tends to stress the ineffectiveness of attempts to resist.

a story that continues to fascinate children

enchant is perhaps the strongest of these terms in stressing the appeal of the agent and the degree of delight evoked in the subject.

hopelessly enchanted by her beauty

Examples of allure in a Sentence

Verb was so allured by his sister's college roommate that before long he was asking her for a date allured by the promise of big bucks, he decided to have a go at a job on the trading floor of the stock market

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Verb

Brand previous tried to allure adult snackers The brand has recently aimed to allure adults through recent limited edition flavors. —

Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY, 23 Oct. 2024 In a directorial career defined by alluring strangeness, Guy Maddin’s new comedy is radical for being almost … normal. —

Marcela Valdes Nicholas Confessore Mark Binelli Lulu Garcia-Navarro Kwame Anthony Appiah Kwame Anthony Appiah Gabrielle Schwarz Yotam Ottolenghi Ross Barkan John Hodgman, New York Times, 18 Oct. 2024

Noun

The former can’t resist the allure of a tobacco and vaping tax, while the latter has fallen back in love with look, sensations and aesthetics of smoking. —

Hikmat Mohammed, WWD, 5 Nov. 2024 Oh, the glamorous yet effortless allure of the city of angels. —

Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 2 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for allure

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

Middle English aluren, from Middle French alurer, from Old French, from a- (from Latin ad-) + lure, leure lure — more at lure

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1534, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of allure was in the 15th century

See more words from the same century

Cite this Entry

Style

“Allure.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/allure. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

allure

1 of 2 verb

al·lure ə-ˈlu̇(ə)r

allured; alluring

: to try to attract or influence by offering what seems to be a benefit or pleasure

allurement

-mənt

noun

allure

2 of 2 noun

: power of attraction : charm

Last Updated: 26 Oct 2024 - Updated example sentences

Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.

Can you solve 4 words at once?

Word of the Day

scintilla

See Definitions and Examples »

Get Word of the Day daily email!

allure

verb

noun

Synonyms

Examples of allure in a Sentence

Word History

Dictionary Entries Near allure

Cite this Entry

Kids Definition