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allure

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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
Birkin was in the center of two of the most exciting [eras] for me, which is the Youthquake Swinging Sixties era of London, and then the loose nightclub allure of Paris in the Seventies. Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 7 Oct. 2025 Winter might not hold the same allure, Bies said. Brandon Loomis, AZCentral.com, 5 Oct. 2025
Verb
Put your best foot forward, since all eyes will be on you once Venus enters alluring Taurus on June 6. Liz Simmons, StyleCaster, 27 May 2025 Sure, 2000’s Almost Famous is now a cult classic movie—but 25 years later, we’re still stuck on Kate Hudson’s portrayal of the chic and alluring Penny Lane. Christian Allaire, Vogue, 26 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for allure
Recent Examples of Synonyms for allure
Noun
  • The result of his appeal was one the Lions expected.
    Colton Pouncy, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
  • What Happens Next There would seem to be little hope for a more civil political discourse, despite the soul-searching and appeals on both sides, especially in the run-up to next year’s midterms.
    Robert Birsel, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • First stop is the Skiatook Municipal Courthouse, where Wendell charms an exhausted clerk into finding him an atlas from before 1950.
    Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 15 Oct. 2025
  • Scott was completing a yearlong master’s program in mathematics, and Noone, a doctoral candidate five years his senior, was charmed by the contrast between his good looks and his diffidence.
    Eren Orbey, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Dining options are so good you may be tempted to stay on the property for your meals.
    Sara Liss, Bon Appetit Magazine, 14 Oct. 2025
  • And just in case they are tempted, Ghost has adopted a strict no-phones policy at its shows.
    Mackenzie Cummings-Grady, Billboard, 14 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Forced by competition and driven by profit Despite the warnings, the attractiveness of higher returns remains powerful, particularly for insurers and pension managers facing long-term liabilities.
    Ganesh Rao,Karen Tso, CNBC, 20 Sep. 2025
  • Nevertheless, regardless of the potential attractiveness, investing in an individual stock entails significant risk.
    Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • And this character fascinated me, this person in an environment that has so much to offer but who’s so fragile inside.
    Damon Wise, Deadline, 11 Oct. 2025
  • Levitation has fascinated both entertainers and scientists for centuries.
    Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 10 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • There are other projects in the works as well, but Academy is currently Paramount+’s best hope for the franchise’s future and for luring, well, the next generation.
    James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 11 Oct. 2025
  • Decades before the internet, Gunness exploited men’s loneliness — luring them to her hog farm with the promise of romance and sending many to a shallow grave beneath the Indiana soil.
    Christina Coulter, PEOPLE, 11 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • One of the many fascinations of this park is that it is woven into the fabric of the city, right across the street from Copenhagen Central Station, unlike destination theme parks that require a car or train ride out.
    Zachary Laks, Travel + Leisure, 17 Oct. 2025
  • Despite numerous expeditions and countless theories about its whereabouts, the mine has never been found, fueling ongoing fascination and speculation.
    Tiffany Acosta, AZCentral.com, 17 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • His success in Triple-A this year could entice a team to take a chance on him.
    Aaliyan Mohammed, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025
  • And, that, my friends, will be the cause of much celebration if he could ever be enticed to perform at, say, the National Theatre, the Royal Court or the Almeida or the Donmar or in the commercial West End.
    Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 10 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Allure.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/allure. Accessed 18 Oct. 2025.

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