lure

American  

[loor] / lʊər /

noun

• lures
  plural

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)

• lures,
  present (3rd person singular)
• lured,
  past participle,  past
• luring
  present participle

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

Derived Forms

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

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• lures
  plural

Participles

• luring
  present
• lured
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• lure
  simple
• lures
  simple
• have lured
  perfect
• has lured
  perfect
• am luring
  progressive
• are luring
  progressive
• is luring
  progressive
• have been luring
  perfect progressive
• has been luring
  perfect progressive

Past

• lured
  simple
• had lured
  perfect
• was luring
  progressive
• were luring
  progressive
• had been luring
  perfect progressive

Future

• will lure
  simple
• will have lured
  perfect
• will be luring
  progressive
• will have been luring
  perfect progressive

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

See Examples For:

lure lures lured luring

While companies aren’t doing lots of hiring, they might have to pay more to lure talented people from other jobs.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 5, 2026

The idea to accommodate Nazi generals in comfort to lure them into indiscretions was a "brilliantly devious strategy", Albano said.

From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026

They lure mosquitoes with carbon dioxide—all vertebrates release the gas with each exhale, so to mosquitoes, it usually signals a meal.

From Slate ● Aug. 4, 2026

The government scrapped state salary caps for state-owned equipment maker Naura Technology, allowing the company to lure top talent from foreign rivals.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

He knew he didn’t have to tell her anything because the lure of Matthias’ freedom had already overridden every bit of her good sense.

From "Six of Crows" by Leigh Bardugo

The group used pheromone lures "which mimic the scent given off by the female moth to attract males" to look for it.

From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026

"We suspect during the final construction stage the spider adds a pheromone that specifically lures worker ants and induces an aggressive attack, triggering the snare," said Professor Narendra.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 26, 2026

Known as the “Danish capital of America,” the city lures in more than one million tourists a year, generating around $9 million annual in hotel and sales tax revenue, according to the New York Post.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 23, 2026

Australia's premier annual cultural event, which lures artists from around the world, unleashed the storm last week when it told Randa Abdel-Fattah it did not "wish to proceed" with her appearance at its Writers' Week.

From Barron's ● Jan. 12, 2026

The line for her lures and dip bait was never fewer than twenty people deep.

From "Hope Springs" by Jaime Berry

Jasmine Karipayeva, 27 from Kazakhstan, decided to have blepharoplasty -- surgery to remove skin from the eyelids -- after "coming across a video on TikTok", lured by low prices and pictures of professional-looking surgery.

From Barron's ● Jul. 17, 2026

Then Orchid moved to town, lured by a sprawling ranch for her four horses.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 12, 2026

Charles and Caroline mourn their part in that displacement; they set out for Kansas with the best of intentions, lured by false advertisements of “free” land that never was.

From Salon ● Jul. 11, 2026

They were among the estimated 93,000 Koreans who moved to North Korea between 1959 and 1984, lured by a resettlement scheme that promised an idyllic life of free healthcare, education and jobs.

From BBC ● Jun. 27, 2026

The panda refused to be lured into the transport cage, so a tranquilizer dart was used.

From "Camp Panda" by Catherine Thimmesh

The state’s light regulation and low taxes are luring dozens of big companies.

From Barron's ● Aug. 8, 2026

The West End has bounced back from the pandemic far stronger than Broadway, taking the lead in total admissions and luring more American theatergoers and producers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026

A celebrity’s ties to a property would create instant buzz—and served as a sure-fire tactic for luring in a line of prospective buyers.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 3, 2026

In recent years, other countries such as Ireland and Canada have added special tax incentives targeting animated projects, luring productions out of the U.S.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 23, 2026

His older brother, Ernie, was luring the mutt to a cleaner spot in the yard with a big pot of leftover chicken, bacon, grits, greens, and whatever else was for doggy breakfast.

From "As Brave As You" by Jason Reynolds