lure

verb

lured; luring

transitive verb

1

: to recall or exercise (a hawk) by means of a lure

2

: to draw with a hint of pleasure or gain : attract actively and strongly

Synonyms of lure

• tempt
• seduce
• entice
• persuade

Choose the Right Synonym for lure

lure, entice, inveigle, decoy, tempt, seduce mean to lead astray from one's true course.

lure implies a drawing into danger, evil, or difficulty through attracting and deceiving.

lured naive investors with get-rich-quick schemes

entice suggests drawing by artful or adroit means.

advertising designed to entice new customers

inveigle implies enticing by cajoling or flattering.

fund-raisers inveigling wealthy alumni

decoy implies a luring into entrapment by artifice.

attempting to decoy the enemy into an ambush

tempt implies the presenting of an attraction so strong that it overcomes the restraints of conscience or better judgment.

tempted by the offer of money

seduce implies a leading astray by persuasion or false promises.

seduced by assurances of assistance

Examples of lure in a Sentence

They lured the bear out of its den.

The suburbs are luring middle-class families away from the city.

The police lured him back to the scene of the crime.

Explorers were lured to the area by tales of a city of gold.

An attractive window display can help to lure shoppers into the store.

Recent Examples on the Web

For each of the murders, the four men either lured or abducted and drove the victims to the Angeles National Forest after the victims slighted the gang in different ways, according to the Justice Department. —Matthew Rodriguez, CBS News, 5 June 2026

This particular market lures in people from all across the region, numbering as many as 3,500 on summer days. —John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 4 June 2026

Jakub Porzycki | Nurphoto | Getty Images Bitcoin declined Wednesday to its lowest levels since February as other asset classes continued to lure investors away from cryptocurrencies. —Joanna Ossinger, CNBC, 3 June 2026

Melissa Liebling-Goldberg grew up in Houston, and after twenty years in NYC, moved back in 2020, lured by warm winters and abundant queso. —Melissa Liebling-Goldberg, PEOPLE, 3 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English luren "to recall (a hawk) with a lure, attract, entice," borrowed from Anglo-French lurer, derivative of lure lure entry 1

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for lure

• boor
• cour
• cure
• jure
• moor
• pure
• spoor
• sure
• tour
• abjure
• adjure
• allure

Kids Definition

lure

1 of 2 noun

ˈlu̇(ə)r 

1

a

: something that persuades one to perform an action for pleasure or gain : temptation

b

: appeal entry 1 sense 3, attraction

2

: a decoy for attracting animals to capture

especially : an artificial bait used for catching fish

lure

2 of 2 verb

lured; luring

: to tempt or lead away by offering some pleasure or advantage : entice