lure

1 of 2

noun

1
: an object usually of leather or feathers attached to a long cord and used by a falconer to recall or exercise a hawk
2
a
: an inducement to pleasure or gain : enticement
the lure of adventure
the lure of her beauty
b
: appeal, attraction
may succumb to the lure of candy, sodas and other sweetsCheryl Jennings-Sauer
3
: a decoy for attracting animals to capture: such as
a
: artificial bait used for catching fish
b
: an often luminous (see luminous sense 1a) structure on the head of pediculate fishes that is used to attract prey

lure

2 of 2

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
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

Noun the promise of easy money is always the lure for some people to play the lottery the fish simply didn't seem to like the lure I was using, so I didn't catch a thing Verb 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
Noun
The answer, still, lies with the lure of remote work, and a very particular type of city is driving the increase. Alena Botros, Fortune, 2 Mar. 2024 The females are significantly larger and possess the characteristic bioluminescent lure used to attract prey and potential mates. Scott Travers, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024 That vibration in the water will draw them out of the weeds and to your lure. David A. Brown, Field & Stream, 28 Feb. 2024 Ted, whose phone isn’t working because of his unpaid bill, is susceptible to the lure of ready cash. Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 3 Feb. 2024 The initial outreach took the form of a packet sent in the mail with the lure of two $1 bills and a request to fill out an online questionnaire; 2,217 did so. Rob Pegoraro, PCMAG, 31 Jan. 2024 Ultimately, though, the lure of the NFL and the opportunity to win a Super Bowl proved to be too much. Craig Meyer, Detroit Free Press, 28 Jan. 2024 Yet famous faces aside, Aspen’s lure lies way beyond its glitz and glamor. Elise Taylor, Vogue, 10 Jan. 2024 Are cats really responding to the lure of an imaginary box with imaginary edges? Popular Science, 21 Feb. 2024
Verb
The expression of anger is meant to make room for changing course, by solidifying support among the working class and luring voters who might otherwise be tempted by the far right. Elisabeth Zerofsky, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2024 For years, the two companies have been at war as the streaming service lured users away from Apple’s iTunes and accused the tech giant of exploiting its dominance to stifle innovation. Morgan Meaker, WIRED, 4 Mar. 2024 Also under Slootman’s watch, Snowflake lured a highly unusual investment from Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway. Steve Mollman, Fortune, 1 Mar. 2024 Christensen was far from the biggest name that Lucasfilm was trying to lure into its galaxy far, far away. Zack Sharf, Variety, 29 Feb. 2024 As the internet sector burgeoned, many investors, lured by tales of exponential returns, plunged into tech stocks with little regard for fundamentals or valuation metrics. Dan Irvine, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024 If so, why haven’t legacy media companies been able to lure in top tech talent to improve their products? Stock options. Oliver Darcy, CNN, 27 Feb. 2024 Late in the game, Klay Thompson stuck with Jokic in the post, which could end up being a unique wrinkle; putting a smaller defender on him could be a different way to lure him into taking more shots instead of creating for others. Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 26 Feb. 2024 The gig economy is booming and the concept of starting a side hustle lures many. Melissa Houston, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lure.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle English, from Anglo-French lure, leure, of Germanic origin; akin to Middle High German luoder bait; perhaps akin to Old English lathian to invite, Old High German ladōn

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of lure was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near lure

Cite this Entry

“Lure.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lure. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

lure

1 of 2 noun
1
a
: something that persuades one to perform an action for pleasure or gain : temptation
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

More from Merriam-Webster on lure

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