verb
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of allure
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English aluren, from Middle French alurer, from a- a- 5 + lurer “to lure”; see lure
Explanation
Something that has allure is powerfully attractive and tempting. A career in Hollywood might have great allure to a teenager who loves acting. You've probably noticed that allure contains lure, from the German word luder meaning "bait." A well-made lure is so alluring to a fish that it won't notice the hook. First used in the 15th century, this word has even landed its own fashion magazine — Allure, which tries to tempt people to buy it by putting powerfully attractive people on the cover and hoping you'll believe that if you buy it, you'll have some allure as well.
Vocabulary lists containing allure
Vocabulary: A Rapper's Delight!
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Vocabulary from texts about Colin Powell
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This Week in Pop Culture : March 9 - 15, 2019
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
While that timeline helps the show’s allure, it also brings challenges.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 24, 2026
That should make the allure of “The Sheep Detectives” obvious at first glance.
From Salon • May 17, 2026
In the decades since, studios have come and gone, but the allure of debuting on la Croisette has endured.
From Los Angeles Times • May 12, 2026
In recent years, healthcare lost some of its defensive, high-quality allure when megacap tech stocks became so profitable, defensive, and stable.
From Barron's • May 6, 2026
But if the Icefall was strenuous and terrifying, it had a surprising allure as well.
From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
