1 allure | Definition of allure

allure

verb
al·​lure | \ ə-ˈlu̇r How to pronounce allure (audio) \
allured; alluring

Definition of allure

 (Entry 1 of 2)

transitive verb

: to entice by charm or attraction 
 I had been fool enough to allow myself to be so quickly allured by her charms 
— Anthony Trollope

allure

noun

Definition of allure (Entry 2 of 2)

: power of attraction or fascination : charm the allure of fame rare books that hold a special allure for collectors

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Other Words from allure

Verb

allurement \ -​ˈlu̇r-​mənt How to pronounce allurement (audio) \ noun

Choose the Right Synonym for allure

Verb

attract, allure, charm, captivate, fascinate, enchant mean to draw another by exerting a powerful influence. attract applies to any degree or kind of ability to exert influence over another. students attracted by the school's locale allure implies an enticing by what is fair, pleasing, or seductive. an alluring smile charm implies the power of casting a spell over the person or thing affected and so compelling a response charmed by their hospitality , but it may, like captivate, suggest no more than evoking delight or admiration. her performances captivated audiences fascinate suggests a magical influence and tends to stress the ineffectiveness of attempts to resist. a story that continues to fascinate children enchant is perhaps the strongest of these terms in stressing the appeal of the agent and the degree of delight evoked in the subject. hopelessly enchanted by her beauty

Examples of allure in a Sentence

Verb

was so allured by his sister's college roommate that before long he was asking her for a date allured by the promise of big bucks, he decided to have a go at a job on the trading floor of the stock market

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

There’s something undeniably alluring about dark, full lashes that make your eyes pop. Braelyn Wood, Health.com, "This Mascara Makes My Lashes Look so Incredible That I've Been Using it For 8 Years," 16 July 2019 Extra quotas of beef, dairy or pork are also alluring for America, which is negotiating with the EU too. The Economist, "A new trade deal has FOMO as its secret sauce," 5 July 2019 This pastoral region of Italy, beloved by tourists, is alluring because of its uniquely beautiful landscape, its fine food and wine, and its stubborn adherence to tradition. Glenn Rifkin, BostonGlobe.com, "How Italy’s agriturismo movement gave rise to The Isabella Experience," 18 June 2019 Luxury fashion houses use such narratives to paint a three-dimensional world—and a lifestyle—that’s alluring to consumers, while giving the institution an identity not tied to any one creative director. Tanisha C. Ford, The Atlantic, "The Radical Fashion Roots of Rihanna’s Fenty Line," 7 June 2019 Picasso’s Maar—fractured, alluring, raging, weeping—can seem like the culmination of decades of his artistic experimentation. J.s. Marcus, WSJ, "Dora Maar’s Surreal Visions," 24 May 2019 Indonesia’s Bali—an island in equal parts alluring and overrun—might prompt some travelers to want to get away from their getaway. Travis Levius, Vogue, "Chasing Komodo Dragons on Indonesia’s Latest Super Yacht," 26 Apr. 2019 There’s just something less reflexively alluring about the dark screen. David Pierce, WSJ, "Every Gadget and App Should Have a Dark Mode," 20 Jan. 2019 But one reason those movies are alluring to a wider audience than older women is that their protagonists have the best homes — including kitchens that people would murder for — and the plushest lives money can buy. Alex Abad-santos, Vox, "Crazy Rich Asians’ crazy rich success could mean more stories about less crazy rich Asian-American people.," 21 Dec. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

It is romanticized onscreen in shows like Mad Men, even given a certain glamour, an allure. Joel Lewin, Quartz, "There’s no such thing as a “functioning alcoholic”," 5 Sep. 2019 The British singer’s misfit allure connected with legions of fans, from punks and nerds to LGBTQ folks and Mexican Americans, who saw their own alienation in his melancholy lyrics. Baltimore Sun Staff, baltimoresun.com, "Bigmouth strikes again: Morrissey’s racist rhetoric inspires boycott ahead of Merriweather Post Pavilion show," 4 Sep. 2019 The soles of Qualley’s feet are noticeably dirty, but that’s apparently part of Tarantino’s idea of fetishistic, counterculture allure. Martha Ross, The Mercury News, "From Manson groupie to Pete Davidson’s reported new girlfriend: Margaret Qualley’s breakout summer," 29 Aug. 2019 Plot details on the sequel series, The New Pope, aren’t fully known, but this teaser is doing wonders in creating an allure. Nick Romano, EW.com, "Jude Law is having a hot pope summer in HBO's The New Pope teaser trailer," 28 Aug. 2019 Now, as the global creative director of the Sergio Tacchini brand, Chow is trying to reintroduce the high fashion allure back into activewear. Steff Yotka, Vogue, "Dao-Yi Chow Has a New Take on Tennis Apparel," 20 Aug. 2019 But that’s only part of the allure, as the costumes, comedy, and mystery surrounding the characters are just as exciting. Megan Stein, Country Living, "'Why Women Kill' Just Premiered and People Are Already Losing It," 15 Aug. 2019 But the real allure here, ultimately, has little to do with business. Hank Stuever, Washington Post, "Satire? Wallow? There’s no right way to watch ‘Succession’ — hating it works, too.," 8 Aug. 2019 The Earthquakes stand to benefit from MLS’ growing allure among young, promising players from Latin America. Nick Eilerson, SFChronicle.com, "Revitalized San Jose Earthquakes ride MLS’ surging wave of Latin American talent," 2 Aug. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'allure.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of allure

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1534, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for allure

Verb and Noun

Middle English aluren, from Middle French alurer, from Old French, from a- (from Latin ad-) + lure, leure lure — more at lure

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More Definitions for allure

allure

noun

English Language Learners Definition of allure