lure

American  

[loor] / lʊər /

noun

1. anything that attracts, entices, or allures.

   Synonyms:

   temptation

2. the power of attracting or enticing.

3. a decoy; live or especially artificial bait used in fishing or trapping.

4. Falconry. a feathered decoy for attracting a hawk, swung at the end of a long line and sometimes baited with raw meat.

5. a flap or tassel dangling from the dorsal fin of pediculate fishes, as the angler, that attracts prey to the mouth region.

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verb (used with object)

lured, luring

1. to attract, entice, or tempt; allure.

   Synonyms:

   seduce

   Antonyms:

   repel

2. to draw or recall (especially a falcon), as by a lure or decoy.

idioms

1. in lure, noting a pair of wings joined with the tips downward.

lure British  

/ lʊə /

verb

1. to tempt or attract by the promise of some type of reward

2. falconry to entice (a hawk or falcon) from the air to the falconer by a lure

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noun

1. a person or thing that lures

2. angling any of various types of brightly-coloured artificial spinning baits, usually consisting of a plastic or metal body mounted with hooks and trimmed with feathers, etc See jig plug spoon

3. falconry a feathered decoy to which small pieces of meat can be attached and which is equipped with a long thong

Other Word Forms

• lurement
  noun
• lurer
  noun
• luringly
  adverb
• unlured
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of lure

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Anglo-French, Old French luere ( French leurre ), from Frankish lothr- (unrecorded); cognate with Middle High German luoder, German Luder “bait”

Explanation

To lure is to entice or bait someone. A lure is used to bait or entice fish to attach themselves to your hook. "He had a new shiny lure, which was enough to lure me into going on the fishing trip." The verb lure is related to words that mean “bait,” “deceit,” and “invite.” Often, when lure is used, there is a nefarious implication, as in: “He was able to lure her into the alley, but her friends soon came looking for her.” The noun lure is the thing that draws in the person or animal, which can be either a physical object or a concept. "The lure of his great wealth kept her in the relationship despite his infidelity."

Example Sentences

Ironically, continued inflows from domestic investors has staved off the sort of wipeout that might lure foreigners back in, Pasupuleti adds.

From Barron's • May 21, 2026

The abundance of domestic visitors, on the other hand, shows that its lure has grown among people from far-flung corners of the country.

From BBC • May 16, 2026

E-commerce remains JD.com’s primary business even as the company has quickly gained a foothold in the food-delivery industry, offering heavy discounts to lure customers away from market leader Meituan and No. 2 player Ele.me.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 12, 2026

And it uses more small airports, which offer low fees and marketing support to lure traffic, and can turn planes around quickly.

From Barron's • May 8, 2026

Not even strawberry ice cream could lure her away from the radio when Red Barber was broadcasting the latest adventure of de Bums.

From "In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson" by Bette Bao Lord