Words / B2

LY-OOR/ljʊə/

To lure is to attract someone, often with a reward, sometimes dishonestly: lure participants; lure into a trap. Attract is neutral; tempt stresses desire. Do not lure participants with grade credit. Noun: a lure is bait. Mix-up: allure is attraction as a quality; lure is not “lure” misspelt as “luer”. Do not use lure for an open, fair invitation.

Meaning

To attract someone or something, often by offering a reward (sometimes dishonestly).

Examples

• “Do not lure participants with grade credit; that is coercion, ethics said.”
• “The decoy lured the pest into the trap, which is the bait sense.”

Good to know

lure + someone + into / with; a lure. Neutral: attract. Trap: allure. Ethics, news, and biology. Attraction with bait, not a plain advert.

Near in meaning

attract

New