lure
To tempt a person or animal into going somewhere.
lure in a sentence
- The smell of cheese lured the mouse straight into the trap.
- Bright petals and sweet nectar lure the bees into the flowers all summer long.
Try an 11+ style question
Verbal reasoning papers often ask about a word like this.
Which word is closest in meaning to lure?
- Ascare
- Brepel
- Ctempt
- Dwarn
Show the answer
C: tempt. The other three mean the opposite of lure.
Which word is most nearly opposite in meaning to lure?
- Adraw
- Btempt
- Crepel
- Dattract
Show the answer
C: repel. The other three mean nearly the same as lure.
Words that mean something similar
tempt, attract, draw
Words that mean the opposite
repel, scare, warn
Careful: lure is not tantalise
Lure tempts someone to come closer. Tantalise teases them with something just out of reach. Read why children mix them up.
More words about behaviour & manners
- meddle: To interfere in things that are not your business.
- menace: Something or someone that causes danger or harm.
- mercy: The kindness you show someone when you could have punished or harmed them.
- mingle: To mix with other people at a gathering.
- mischievous: Naughty in a playful way.
- mislead: To give someone a wrong idea on purpose.
- moral: Knowing and doing what is right, fair and honest.
- mutiny: A time when a group refuses to obey their leader and tries to take over.
More words to explore
Sitting the 11+ in Kent, Medway or Buckinghamshire?
Plain-English guides to each test, from the councils’ own pages: Kent Test · Medway Test · Bucks Secondary Transfer Test