allure

[uh-loor]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR allure ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object), al·lured, al·lur·ing.

to attract or tempt by something flattering or desirable.

to fascinate; charm.

verb (used without object), al·lured, al·lur·ing.

to be attractive or tempting.

noun

fascination; charm; appeal.

Origin of allure

1375–1425; late Middle English aluren < Middle French alurer, equivalent to a- a-⁵ + lurer to lure

Related formsal·lur·er, nounun·al·lured, adjective

Synonyms for allure

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR allure ON THESAURUS.COM

1. entice, lure. 2. enchant, entrance, captivate. 4. glamor, attraction.

allure

[al-yoo r, -yer]

noun

alure.

alure

or al·lure

[al-yoo r, -yer]

noun

a passageway, as the walk along one side of a cloister.

Origin of alure

1250–1300; Middle English, also al(o)ur < Old French aleure passage, equivalent to ale walk (see alley¹) + -ure -ure

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for allure

temptation, magnetism, attraction, charisma, charm, enticement, glamor, beguile, bewitch, enchant, captivate, enchantment, come-on, lure, pull, bait, fascinate, seduce, decoy, draw

Examples from the Web for allure

Contemporary Examples of allure

Marston wrote that Wonder Woman needed “all the strength of Superman plus all the allure of a good and beautiful woman.”
Wonder Woman’s Creation Story Is Wilder Than You Could Ever Imagine
Tom Arnold-Forster
November 3, 2014
“Carrie Bradshaw was so pivotal in creating the allure of the New York City woman,” Arora says.
How Brooklyn Invaded Paris—Next Stop, the World
Brandon Presser
October 23, 2014
But that may just add to the allure for these fledgling leaders.
So You Want to Rule a Kingdom? A Wacky History of One-Man Nations
Nina Strochlic
July 17, 2014
“[David] is the most wonderful man I have ever met,” she said in a recent interview with Allure.
Victoria and David Beckham Celebrate Their 15th Wedding Anniversary
Erin Cunningham
July 3, 2014
With the Chilean goal exposed to him in all its allure, he hit the ball with his shin—his canilla, as Busquets would call it.
Chile Ends Spain’s World Cup Reign
Tunku Varadarajan
June 18, 2014

Historical Examples of allure

Now it assembles the blossoms of a whole long year to bewilder and allure.
The Spenders
Harry Leon Wilson
The table was spread in a manner to engage the eye and allure the appetite.
Imogen
William Godwin
Thus: in that by guile they allure the people to the lust of the flesh.
The Epistles of St. Peter and St. Jude Preached and Explained
Martin Luther
He has eliminated the subtle sensuousness which has its own allure in the drawing.
Holbein
Beatrice Fortescue
It is far better to allure them, by showing them the pleasures of doing right.
The Teacher
Jacob Abbott

British Dictionary definitions for allure

allure

verb

(tr) to entice or tempt (someone) to a person or place or to a course of action; attract

noun

attractiveness; appealthe cottage's allure was its isolation

Derived Formsallurement, nounallurer, noun

Word Origin for allure

C15: from Old French alurer, from lure bait, lure

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for allure

c.1400, from Anglo-French alurer, Old French aleurer "to attract, captivate; train a falcon to hunt," from à "to" (see ad-) + loirre "falconer's lure," from a Frankish word (see lure), perhaps influenced by French allure "gait, way of walking." Related: Allured; alluring. The noun is first attested 1540s; properly this sense is allurement.