lure

lure — noun

1. a special quality that makes a person, place, or activity seem attractive and de

1.nounB2
Definition

a special quality that makes a person, place, or activity seem attractive and desirable, often leading people to choose it instead of other options

Example

The lure of quick money led many young professionals to invest in risky schemes.

collocation: lure of [something]

Paloma could not resist the lure of the open road and set off to travel.

collocation: resist the lure of

Common collocations
  • the lure of [money/fame/adventure/success/the city]
  • resist the lure of
  • powerful lure
  • strong lure
  • irresistible lure
Synonyms
  • appeal

    broader term for general attractiveness, less focused on the pull toward a specific outcome

  • attraction

    more neutral; lure often suggests a pull that may be misleading

  • temptation

    stronger negative implication that giving in would be wrong or unwise

Antonyms
  • deterrent

    something that discourages rather than attracts

  • repulsion

    the quality of driving people away rather than drawing them in

Grammar Patterns

the lure of [noun]

Usage Note

Frequently appears in the pattern 'the lure of [something]'. Can be used as both a countable noun ('a powerful lure') and an uncountable noun ('for pure lure').

Common Mistakes

The lure of the city is very lure.
The lure of the city is very strong.
'Lure' is a noun and cannot be used as an adjective to describe itself; use 'strong', 'powerful', or 'irresistible'.

2. an artificial object that looks like a small fish or insect and is fixed to a fi

2.nounB1
Definition

an artificial object that looks like a small fish or insect and is fixed to a fishing line so that fish will try to bite it, allowing the fisher to catch them

Example

The angler opened his tackle box and chose a shiny silver lure for the afternoon.

collocation: shiny / silver lure

Feng spent nearly an hour threading a small lure onto his fishing line.

collocation: tie a lure to a line

Common collocations
  • fishing lure
  • shiny lure
  • bright lure
  • tie a lure
  • cast a lure
  • use a lure
  • homemade lure
  • wooden lure
Synonyms
  • bait

    broader term that includes both artificial and natural attractants

  • decoy

    used in hunting more broadly, not limited to fishing

Grammar Patterns

a [adjective] lure

[verb] a lure

Usage Note

Often appears as the compound noun 'fishing lure'. Not used for live bait such as worms or minnows — it refers specifically to artificial objects designed to imitate prey.

Common Mistakes

I bought some lures from the bait shop to use as live bait.
I bought some lures from the bait shop to attract fish.
A lure is an artificial object, not live bait. Use 'bait' or 'live bait' for worms, insects, or small fish.

lure — verb

Word family

  • luring
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All four words describe drawing someone toward something, but they differ in connotation and context. 'Lure' often suggests a degree of deception or an offer that seems better than it really is — for example, a company lures customers with a deal that has hidden terms. 'Entice' is more neutral, focusing on genuine positive appeal. 'Tempt' implies a struggle between desire and self-control, often in moral or ethical contexts — resisting a second slice of cake is temptation, not luring. 'Attract' is the broadest term and simply means to draw interest without any element of promise or trick. 'Seduce' is the strongest, implying a powerful, gradual pull that overcomes resistance, frequently in personal or romantic settings. In a shopping scenario, a sale might attract shoppers, entice them with discounts, lure them in with fine print, tempt them to overspend, and seduce them into buying something extravagant they cannot afford.

entice ↗tempt ↗attract ↗seduce

Common collocations

Nouns

  • customers
  • investors
  • tourists
  • shoppers
  • fish

Phrases

  • lure someone into doing something
  • lure someone away from
  • fall for the lure of

Prepositions

Etymology

FrankishOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word 'lure' entered English in the 1300s through Old French 'loirre', which referred to a device used by falconers to call a hawk back to their arm. This French word can be traced further back to Frankish '*lōþr', a Germanic root connected to calling or summoning. Over the centuries, the meaning expanded from a literal falconry tool to any object or quality that attracts or entices — first in fishing, then in the abstract sense of appeal or temptation.