allure
1 of 2verb
al·lure ə-ˈlu̇r 
allured; alluring
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
Anthony Trollope allurement
ə-ˈlu̇r-mənt
noun allure
2 of 2noun
: power of attraction or fascination : charm
the allure of fame
rare books that hold a special allure for collectors
Synonyms
Verb
- beguile
- bewitch
- captivate
- charm
- enchant
- fascinate
- kill
- magnetize
- wile
- witch [archaic]
Noun
- animal magnetism
- appeal
- attractiveness
- captivation
- charisma
- charm
- duende
- enchantment
- fascination
- force field
- glamour
- glamor
- magic
- magnetism
- oomph
- pizzazz
- pizazz
- seductiveness
- witchery
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
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 Jack Kelly, Forbes, 3 Aug. 2022 The result is a heady and seductive fragrance with woody undertones, sure to allure and entice. Grooming Playbook, The Salt Lake Tribune, 11 May 2022 Hurricane Creek Wilderness, Arkansas Boulders, bluffs, and waterfalls abound in the 15,214-acre Hurricane Creek Wilderness, where high ridges and gurgling creeks allure intrepid trekkers. Stephanie Vermillion, Outside Online, 26 July 2021 For students of style, the Copland film—showing men wearing coats, ties, and hats even when going about their casual rounds—offers alluring hints of everyday formality. Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 11 Apr. 2020 The offers are alluring to owners who often operate on the edge and are strapped for cash. Gretchen Morgenson, NBC News, 3 Apr. 2020 Her music, nor her brand, are flashy, with Coles instead settling into a career marked by sophisticated, sensual and inventive electronic music that allures whether heard in a sweaty club, a major festival or simply through your headphones. Katie Bain, Billboard, 17 Jan. 2020 Bass-baritone Plachetka managed to produce a resplendent timbre while oozing the charisma and guile that make Figaro so alluring a character. Howard Reich, chicagotribune.com, 29 Sep. 2019 The smell is alive and dead, asphyxiating and alluring all at once. BostonGlobe.com, 15 Dec. 2019 Liana Satenstein, Vogue, 7 Sep. 2022 Add instant allure to your outdoor space with this pretty-as-a-picture fire bowl. Jill Gleeson, Country Living, 6 Sep. 2022 The allure of owning his own place led him to open Station One Smokehouse inside an enormous old fire station in Plainfield back in 2018. Nick Kindelsperger, Chicago Tribune, 5 Sep. 2022 Even the bike-friendly streets and love of beer all give off the German allure. Lauren Smith Mcdonough And Janaya Wecker, House Beautiful, 1 Sep. 2022 That’s the allure of a Christian music festival like SoulFest — and, perhaps, also the danger. BostonGlobe.com, 31 Aug. 2022 Horowitz deepens the allure of this true-crime page-turner by contextualizing how sexuality was used by and against women in belle epoque Paris, and how far police went to protect elites. Becky Meloan, Washington Post, 30 Aug. 2022 The allure of political relevance, facilitated by social and other media, encourages a predictable sameness of the present in the past. Elliot Kaufman, WSJ, 29 Aug. 2022 After all, the city holds a special allure for royals. Town & Country, 28 Aug. 2022 See More
Verb
In a blazing hot market, companies would buy out bonuses to allure a person to join their organization. Jack Kelly, Forbes, 3 Aug. 2022 The result is a heady and seductive fragrance with woody undertones, sure to allure and entice. Grooming Playbook, The Salt Lake Tribune, 11 May 2022 Hurricane Creek Wilderness, Arkansas Boulders, bluffs, and waterfalls abound in the 15,214-acre Hurricane Creek Wilderness, where high ridges and gurgling creeks allure intrepid trekkers. Stephanie Vermillion, Outside Online, 26 July 2021 For students of style, the Copland film—showing men wearing coats, ties, and hats even when going about their casual rounds—offers alluring hints of everyday formality. Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 11 Apr. 2020 The offers are alluring to owners who often operate on the edge and are strapped for cash. Gretchen Morgenson, NBC News, 3 Apr. 2020 Her music, nor her brand, are flashy, with Coles instead settling into a career marked by sophisticated, sensual and inventive electronic music that allures whether heard in a sweaty club, a major festival or simply through your headphones. Katie Bain, Billboard, 17 Jan. 2020 Bass-baritone Plachetka managed to produce a resplendent timbre while oozing the charisma and guile that make Figaro so alluring a character. Howard Reich, chicagotribune.com, 29 Sep. 2019 The smell is alive and dead, asphyxiating and alluring all at once. BostonGlobe.com, 15 Dec. 2019 Noun
That slick sumptuousness is the allure of Michael Kors’s time at Celine; Carmen Kass strutting down the runway in bathing suit bottoms with a striped cashmere knit or a leather zip-up vest is bizarre, bold, and weirdly admirable. Liana Satenstein, Vogue, 7 Sep. 2022 Add instant allure to your outdoor space with this pretty-as-a-picture fire bowl. Jill Gleeson, Country Living, 6 Sep. 2022 The allure of owning his own place led him to open Station One Smokehouse inside an enormous old fire station in Plainfield back in 2018. Nick Kindelsperger, Chicago Tribune, 5 Sep. 2022 Even the bike-friendly streets and love of beer all give off the German allure. Lauren Smith Mcdonough And Janaya Wecker, House Beautiful, 1 Sep. 2022 That’s the allure of a Christian music festival like SoulFest — and, perhaps, also the danger. BostonGlobe.com, 31 Aug. 2022 Horowitz deepens the allure of this true-crime page-turner by contextualizing how sexuality was used by and against women in belle epoque Paris, and how far police went to protect elites. Becky Meloan, Washington Post, 30 Aug. 2022 The allure of political relevance, facilitated by social and other media, encourages a predictable sameness of the present in the past. Elliot Kaufman, WSJ, 29 Aug. 2022 After all, the city holds a special allure for royals. Town & Country, 28 Aug. 2022 See More 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
Kids Definition
allure 1 of 2
verb
al·lure ə-ˈlu̇r
allured; alluring
: to try to attract or influence by offering what seems to be a benefit or pleasure Treasure hunters were allured by stories of lost riches.
allure
2 of 2noun
: power to attract
the allure of fame
allure 1 of 2
noun
as in appeal
the power of irresistible attraction the nostalgic allure of America's Wild West still attracts vacationers to ghost towns Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- appeal
- attractiveness
- charm
- fascination
- attraction
- glamour
- seductiveness
- sweetness
- magnetism
- glamor
- charisma
- enchantment
- captivation
- magic
- pizzazz
- seduction
- oomph
- desirability
- pizazz
- witchery
- force field
- lure
- animal magnetism
- allurement
- duende
- desirableness
- delightfulness
- pleasantness
- niceness
- agreeableness
- sex appeal
- pleasingness
- call
- darlingness
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- repulsion
- repulsiveness
- unpleasantness
- disagreeableness
- offensiveness
- obnoxiousness
- distastefulness
allure
2 of 2verb
1
as in to charm
to attract or delight as if by magic was so allured by his sister's college roommate that before long he was asking her for a date Synonyms & Similar Words
- charm
- fascinate
- interest
- lure
- entice
- intrigue
- delight
- enchant
- seduce
- captivate
- bewitch
- tempt
- beguile
- wile
- magnetize
- witch
- kill
- please
- draw
- woo
- entrance
- pull
- enrapture
- gratify
- enthrall
- disarm
- enthral
- beckon
- arrest
- court
- invite
- appeal (to)
- solicit
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- revolt
- repel
- disgust
- weary
- offend
- annoy
- bore
- irk
- displease
- tire
2
as in to lure
to lead away from a usual or proper course by offering some pleasure or advantage allured by the promise of big bucks, he decided to have a go at a job on the trading floor of the stock market Synonyms & Similar Words
- lure
- tempt
- seduce
- entice
- persuade
- beguile
- bait
- betray
- decoy
- lead on
- charm
- fascinate
- trap
- enchant
- solicit
- snow
- inveigle
- ensnare
- snare
- captivate
- tangle
- mesh
- draw in
- enmesh
- bewitch
- entrap
- wile
- immesh
- magnetize
- catch
- rope (in)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- warn
- caution
- ward (off)
- alert
- drive (away or off)
- turn away
- forewarn
- repulse
Synonym Chooser
Some common synonyms of allure are attract, captivate, charm, enchant, and fascinate. While all these words mean "to draw another by exerting a powerful influence," allure implies an enticing by what is fair, pleasing, or seductive.
an alluring smile
Although the words attract and allure have much in common, attract applies to any degree or kind of ability to exert influence over another.
students attracted by the school's locale
Charm implies the power of casting a spell over the person or thing affected and so compelling a response, but it may, like captivate, suggest no more than evoking delight or admiration.
charmed by their hospitality
her performances captivated audiences
While in some cases nearly identical to allure, 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
While the synonyms fascinate and allure are close in meaning, fascinate suggests a magical influence and tends to stress the ineffectiveness of attempts to resist.
a story that continues to fascinate children