allure 1 of 2

Definition of allurenext

allure

2 of 2

verb

Synonym Chooser

How is the word allure different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of allure are attract, captivate, charm, enchant, and fascinate. While all these words mean "to draw another by exerting a powerful influence," allure implies an enticing by what is fair, pleasing, or seductive.

an alluring smile

When might attract be a better fit than allure?

Although the words attract and allure have much in common, attract applies to any degree or kind of ability to exert influence over another.

students attracted by the school's locale

How are the words charm and captivate related as synonyms of allure?

Charm implies the power of casting a spell over the person or thing affected and so compelling a response, but it may, like captivate, suggest no more than evoking delight or admiration.

charmed by their hospitality
her performances captivated audiences

When can enchant be used instead of allure?

While in some cases nearly identical to allure, 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

When would fascinate be a good substitute for allure?

While the synonyms fascinate and allure are close in meaning, fascinate suggests a magical influence and tends to stress the ineffectiveness of attempts to resist.

a story that continues to fascinate children

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of allure
Noun
But that has its own allure for the filmmakers. Brent Lang, Variety, 21 Jan. 2026 One of life’s great revelations during those days for Avdija was the allure of the opposite sex. Jason Quick, New York Times, 21 Jan. 2026
Verb
But to truly understand what enchanted the Fitzgeralds—and continues to allure visitors—go beyond the hotel and explore Antibes. Jeryl Brunner, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025 Developing knowledge about our solar system, galaxy and the possibility of humans becoming an interplanetary species are alluring prospects in their scope and grandeur. James Cramer, Baltimore Sun, 20 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for allure
Recent Examples of Synonyms for allure
Noun
  • On Thursday, the Swiss Federal Tribunal, Switzerland's highest court, announced the approval of Chiles' appeal.
    Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 30 Jan. 2026
  • But hotels are only part of the appeal.
    Laura Begley Bloom, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • The clip has charmed people online because of how intentional the whole thing feels.
    Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 28 Jan. 2026
  • The commissioners were charmed, but the real win was when a representative of a local homeowners’ association invited the students to attend their next meeting to discuss the project.
    Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 27 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Overbuy with the price still affordable At just under $80 an ounce currently, but with the potential for significant growth high right now, investors may be tempted to overbuy silver while the price is still affordable.
    Matt Richardson, CBS News, 8 Jan. 2026
  • This is where brands can tempt consumers with limited runs.
    Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 7 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • United by their resentment of women, incels tend to see attractiveness as a straightforward function of genetics—millimeters, symmetry, skin color—and therefore out of their control.
    Thomas Chatterton Williams, The Atlantic, 19 Jan. 2026
  • That’s definitely a very big reason for the festival’s sustainability and attractiveness.
    Annika Pham, Variety, 16 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • How golfers rely on — and leverage — technology fascinates Skenes, from the numbers culled relative to swing speed and ball flight to how their bodies must be in sync to generate so much club speed.
    Tribune News Service, The Orlando Sentinel, 23 Jan. 2026
  • People tend to be fascinated by half-and-half beings.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 21 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Miami is rumored to be interested in his services, and the Hurricanes are no strangers to shelling out lucrative deals to lure top passers.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 24 Jan. 2026
  • Even the name Greenland taps into antiquity thanks to Erik the Red, who was banished here in 982, found a sheltered, green fjord to call home, and named the place Greenland, an embellishment to lure other Norsemen west.
    Tim Neville, Outside, 23 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • Part of the fascination may also come from the fact that the Ford Fiesta is no longer in production, giving the clip an unexpected nostalgic edge.
    Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 28 Jan. 2026
  • Grant, increasingly averse to crowds and scrutiny, retreated from the spectacle even as public fascination intensified.
    Michelle Duncan, Architectural Digest, 28 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • An Associated Press investigation found that unwitting Bangladeshi workers were enticed to Russia under the false promise of civilian work before being thrown into combat in Ukraine.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 28 Jan. 2026
  • By promoting the procedure as not just a facelift add-on, but an alternative to lip filler, surgeons broadened its appeal, enticing younger generations who were growing tired of injections—the artificial aesthetic, the migration, the maintenance.
    Jolene Edgar, Allure, 27 Jan. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Allure.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/allure. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.

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