to lure

Examples

• All

• Canton offers a glimpse of mainland China, which continues to lure the Western traveler.

  Academic text (1995)

• So the plan is to use free sites to lure users in.

• You guys have got to lure him out into the open.

  Godzilla (1998)

• We want to lure him to a secure location and trap him inside.

  Scream VI (2023)

• Finally, the states are in constant competition with each other to lure business to their area.

  Academic text (1992)

• Scientists think these strange teeth might be used to lure prey.

• Techniques such as this captivate students and lure them to become committed to the lesson.

  Academic text (1990)

• A Ponzi scheme is a form of fraud where investors are lured in by the promise of high profits.

  Patrick Boyle

• The bid to get rich quick has lured some to the illicit trade across the oceans.

  Academic text (1996)

• The fisherman used colorful bait to lure the fish to his line.

Synonyms

C

to convince

vsto lure

∞ 2.7

Make someone believe something is true or agree to do something

relies more on tempting with appealing offers or false promises than on argument

A

to attract

vsto lure

991 1.9

Make people notice or want something

adds the element of urging to go or do by offering something or promising

U

to urge

vsto lure

591 3.2

To strongly encourage someone to do something

focuses instead on tempting by attractive offers or false promises

P

to persuade

vsto lure

472 2.7

To make someone agree or do something by giving reasons

relies more on attractive offers or false promises than reasoned argument

H

to hook

vsto lure

330 4.6

To attract someone and make them want to be involved, sometimes by a trick

is specifically about persuading via attractive offers or false promises

T

to tempt

vsto lure

146 3.3

Try to make someone want to do something, often something wrong or unwise

adds the idea of using attractive offers or false promises to persuade

E

to entice

vsto lure

61 4.9

To persuade someone to do something by offering something they want

focuses on tempting by attractive offers or false promises to get someone

S

to seduce

vsto lure

53 5.9

Persuade someone to give up duties or beliefs by offering something attractive

is more general, not limited to moral or duty abandonment

I

to induce

vsto lure

51 4.9

Persuade someone to do something

is more about tempting with attractive offers or deceptive promises

B

to beckon

vsto lure

22 4.4

Seem attractive and invite someone to come closer

is more active, aiming to persuade someone using offers or promises

B

to bait

vsto lure

18 3.2

To use something to lure a person, animal or fish into a trap

is a broader tactic of tempting using offers or false promises

C

to cajole

vsto lure

15 7.7

To persuade someone to do something by gentle talk and praise

is stronger on tempting through offers or false promises rather than flattery

P

to pull in

vsto lure

7 3.5

To attract people or attention

is about persuading someone to act by offering something attractive or false

A

to allure

vsto lure

6 6.5

To attract someone by using charm

emphasizes tempting with explicit offers or deceptive promises instead of charm

T

to tantalize

vsto lure

6 7.4

To show something nice to someone and keep it just out of reach

uses offers or promises to make someone go toward the desired object

B

to beguile

vsto lure

4 8.4

To attract and charm someone while tricking them

is focused more on tempting by offer or promise than on charm

R

to rope in

vsto lure

• Informal

2 5.4

Convince someone to join an activity, often when they do not want to

is about drawing someone in by promising something attractive or deceptive

D

to dangle a carrot

vsto lure

• Informal

1 4.4

Offer a small reward to make someone do something

is more generally about tempting, not only by promising rewards

P

to put up to

vsto lure

• Informal

1 6.8

To persuade someone to do something they would not do on their own

is specifically about tempting through offers or promises rather than mere encouragement

U

to use a carrot

vsto lure

• Informal

4.2

Offer a reward to encourage someone to do something

is about tempting by offers or promises beyond just incentives

Antonyms

D

to dissuade

35 6.0

To try to stop someone from doing something by talking to them

R

to repel

21 4.2

Make someone or something move back and stay away, often by using force

Compounds

F

fish lure

2.8

A small fake bait made of plastic or metal to attract fish

F

fisherman's lure

5.1

A small brightly colored fake bait used to attract fish

How Persuasive

to seduce

53 5.9

to tempt

146 3.3

to lure

270 3.7

to entice

61 4.9

to encourage

∞ 2.3

to suggest

∞ 1.6

Surface Forms

Etymology