allure 1 of 2

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
The allure of school pride and close friends proved too great to turn down. Patrick Z. McGavin, Chicago Tribune, 17 June 2025 The archetype of the Siren is very symbolized by femininity and feminism, and power and allure. Rachel Elspeth Gross, Forbes.com, 15 June 2025
Verb
But most foods know no gender, and brands risk alienating certain groups through the attempt of specifically alluring another. Andrew Watman, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2025 The collection is inspired by alluring gangster films that are reimagined through the world of LaQuan Smith. Robyn Mowatt, Essence, 17 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for allure
Recent Examples of Synonyms for allure
Noun
  • The veil’s appeal has even trickled off the aisle and onto the runway.
    Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 30 June 2025
  • At the time of the appeal's filing in December 2024, JD Vance was already serving as vice president-elect.
    Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 June 2025
Verb
  • Thomas Edison makes real the once fantastical notion of an entire building lit up by electricity, and Oscar Wilde charms the New York aristocracy with his witticisms, if not his plays.
    Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 24 June 2025
  • Beyond the traditional elements of talent, grit, and charm, a huge part of what makes or breaks people is timing.
    Harrison Richlin, IndieWire, 23 June 2025
Verb
  • Children may be tempted to touch the flames, which can reach temperatures of up to 1,800 degrees and some run with them, sometimes leading to eye impalement.
    Beth Warren, The Tennessean, 4 July 2025
  • At month 10, schedule a conversation focused entirely on what might tempt them away.
    Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 4 July 2025
Verb
  • The writer was fascinated with sharks after spotting them during childhood fishing trips with his father on Nantucket.
    Christopher Rudolph, People.com, 20 June 2025
  • That stuff about the Gunn Mummy fascinates me though.
    Hazlitt, Hazlitt, 18 June 2025
Verb
  • In recent years, however, the migration of traditional TV viewers to streaming and broadband venues has undermined the economics of traditional cable outlets — even those networks devoted to sports, a format which remains able to lure large simultaneous viewership.
    Brian Steinberg, Variety, 27 June 2025
  • Then, because of a wage and salary cap used to control inflation during World War II, more employers offered health insurance to lure workers.
    Renuka Rayasam, NPR, 27 June 2025
Noun
  • The dawn of the automobile age, for instance, spurred fascination with machinery, influencing designs like the cabochon spheres that evoke ball bearings in many Cartier pieces of the time.
    Jill Newman, Robb Report, 29 June 2025
  • The search for extraterrestrial life has long gone back and forth between scientific curiosity, public fascination and outright skepticism.
    Oliver Swainston, Space.com, 28 June 2025
Verb
  • According to the most recent survey conducted by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), sentiment among U.S. homebuilders is now at its lowest level since 2022, as many are forced to cut prices and offer incentives to entice reluctant buyers.
    Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 June 2025
  • Consider homing in on messaging to entice potential guests at a state level, and including campaign variety that appeals to neighboring regions.
    Adam Deflorian, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025
Verb
  • She was also found guilty of disorderly conduct for supposedly trying to seduce an undercover policewoman named Margaret Leonard, who’d been assigned to entrap her.
    Kellie B. Gormly, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 June 2025
  • The first classic of the summer noir genre is no doubt René Clément’s adaptation of the Patricia Highsmith novel The Talented Mr. Ripley about a young American upstart who travels to Italy and murders a wealthy socialite before stealing his identity and seducing his wife.
    Erik Morse, Vogue, 26 June 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Allure.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/allure. Accessed 11 Jul. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on allure

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!