verb
noun
Other Word Forms
- allurement noun
- allurer noun
- unallured adjective
Etymology
Origin of allure
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English aluren, from Middle French alurer, from a- a- 5 + lurer “to lure”; 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.
"These conspiracies are attractive for a host of reasons including that they are linked to the allure of having 'secret knowledge' or being aware of things others don't know."
From Barron's • Apr. 11, 2026
Bhatt recognizes that the desire to turn to AI isn’t just the allure of chatbots—it’s a reaction to the current state of healthcare.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 4, 2026
The technology’s real allure for studio executives may not wane, however.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 30, 2026
What explains the sell-off in gold then, at a time when its safe-haven allure and inflation-fighting credentials should have been attracting buyers in theory?
From MarketWatch • Mar. 27, 2026
It wasn’t only the size of the hoard that gave the Trove its allure, it was the mystery of its disappearance and the desolation of what had happened when it was lost.
From "The Reader" by Traci Chee
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.
