Allure, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Alluded; p. pr. & vb. n. Alluring.]
Etymology: [OF. aleurrer, alurer, fr. a (L. ad) + leurre lure. See Lure.]
To attempt to draw; to tempt by a lure or bait, that is, by the offer of some good, real or apparent; to invite by something flattering or acceptable; to entice; to attract. With promised joys allured them on. Falconer. The golden sun in splendor likest Heaven Allured his eye. Milton.
Syn. -- To attract; entice; tempt; decoy; seduce. -- To Allure, Entice, Decoy, Seduce. These words agree in the idea of acting upon the mind by some strong controlling influence, and differ according to the image under which is presented. They are all used in a bad sense, except allure, which has sometimes (though rarely) a good one. We are allured by the prospect or offer (usually deceptive) of some future good. We are commonly enticed into evil by appeals to our passions. We are decoyed into danger by false appearances or representations. We are seduced when drawn aside from the path of rectitude. What allures draws by gentle means; what entices leads us by promises and persuasions; what decoys betrays us, as it were, into a snare or net; what seduces deceives us by artful appeals to the passions.
2 other Webster entries under this spelling
Allure, n.
Allurement. [R.] Hayward.
Allure, n.
Gait; bearing. The swing, the gait, the pose, the allure of these men. Harper's Mag.
Shades of meaning
To allure is to draw as with a lure by some charm or some prospect of pleasure or advantage. We may attract others to a certain thing without intent; as, the good unconsciously attract others to virtue. We may allure either to that which is evil or to that which is good and noble, by purpose and endeavor, as in the familiar line, "Allured to brighter worlds, and led the way," GOLDSMITH Deserted Village, l. 170. Lure is rather more akin to the physical nature. It is the word we would use of drawing on an animal. Coax expresses the attraction of the person, not of the thing. A man may be coaxed to that which is by no means alluring. Cajole and decoy carry the idea of deceiving and ensnaring. To inveigle is to lead one blindly in. To tempt is to endeavor to lead one wrong; to seduce is to succeed in winning one from good to ill. Win may be used in either a bad or a good sense, in which latter it surpasses the highest sense of allure, because it succeeds in that which allure attempts; as, "He that winneth souls is wise," Prov. xi, 30.
Prepositions
Allure to a course; allure by hopes; allure from evil to good.