Allures

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. To entice or draw interest by presenting an attractive quality or feature
2. To entice or captivate individuals by offering something appealing or seductive
3. To draw attention or interest through appealing characteristics or charm

Etymology: "Allures" is the third-person singular present form of "allure," so it simply means that someone or something draws another in with an appealing or seductive pull. The verb traces back to Old French "aleurer" or "alurer," formed from "a" (meaning "to" or "towards," from Latin "ad") and "leurre," the word for "lure." The image is of drawing someone toward you by dangling bait, the same hunting idea that gave us the plain English "lure." A second, separate root produced the word's other possible ancestry. Old French "alure," from "aler" ("to go"), meant "walk" or "gait," and a Middle English noun "alure" grew from it. Scholars treat the two as distinct origins that happened to converge in English spelling and sense, so the modern meaning of seductive attraction owes most to the lure-based verb.

Synonyms: attractions, temptations, charms, enticements, seductions

Antonyms: repulsions, deterrents