Dictionary

attract en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /əˈtɹækt/

Etymology

From Latin attractus, past participle of attrahere (“to draw to, attract”), from ad (“to”) + trahere (“to draw”).

Meanings

1. (transitive) To pull toward without touching.
   • All bodies, and all the parts of bodies, mutually attract themselves, and one another. 1713, W[illiam] Derham, Physico-Theology: Or, A Demonstration of the Being and Attributes of God, from His Works of Creation. […], London: […] W[illiam] Innys, […], →OCLC:
   • The reason plaque forms isn’t entirely known, but it seems to be related to high levels of cholesterol inducing an inflammatory response, which can also attract and trap more cellular debris over time. 2013 July-August, Stephen P. Lownie, David M. Pelz, “Stents to Prevent Stroke”, in American Scientist:
   • A magnet attracts iron filings.
2. (transitive) To draw by moral, emotional or sexual influence; to engage or fix, as the mind, attention, etc.; to invite or allure.
   • to attract admirers
   • His big smile and brown eyes instantly attracted me.
   • Advertising is designed to attract customers.
   • Attracted by thy beauty still to gaze. 1667, John Milton, “Book V”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:
3. (transitive) To incur.
   • Using the minibar in a hotel room attracts additional charges.

Forms

Antonyms

repel · chase

Deriveds

attractingly · attract attention · opposites attract · counterattract · attractee · attractability · attractable · attract mode · attracticide · nonattracting · attract screen · attractile · you attract more flies with honey than vinegar · minor-attracted person · chemoattract · attractin · disattract · attractancy · unattracting · reattract

Hypernyms

pull · animate · impel

Relateds

attractor · attraction · attractive

Synonyms

beckon · draw · allure · attract · appeal

Translations (84)

pl pociągać (cause sexual excitement) · ca atreure (pull without touching) · mi whakapoapoa (pull without touching) · ka მიზიდვა (cause sexual excitement) · fr attirer (pull without touching) · bg привличам (cause sexual excitement) · cmn 招引 (arouse interest) · th ดึงดูด (cause sexual excitement) · hu felkelti az érdeklődést (arouse interest) · ko 당기다 (pull without touching) · ja 引きつける (cause sexual excitement) · hu vonz (arouse interest) · ko 끌어들이다 (pull without touching) · pt excitar (cause sexual excitement) · ru привле́чь (cause sexual excitement) · hu vonz (pull without touching) · es atraer (cause sexual excitement) · uk прив́аблювати (cause sexual excitement) · el έλκω (pull without touching) · bg привличам (pull without touching) · sv attrahera (pull without touching) · el ελκύω (cause sexual excitement) · ru привле́чь (arouse interest) · es llamar (arouse interest) · ru притя́гивать (pull without touching) · el προσελκύω (cause sexual excitement) · cs přitahovat (arouse interest) · uk притяга́ти (pull without touching) · ro atrage (cause sexual excitement) · ko 끌다 (arouse interest) · ca atreure (arouse interest) · nl aantrekken (pull without touching) · ko 끌다 (pull without touching) · gd tarraing (pull without touching) · nl aandacht trekken (arouse interest) · pt atrair (arouse interest) · lt pritraukti (arouse interest) · gd tarraing (arouse interest) · gl atraer (pull without touching) · uk приверта́ти (cause sexual excitement) · mi whakamanea (arouse interest) · fi houkutella (arouse interest) · ro atrage (pull without touching) · gl excitar (cause sexual excitement) · ne तान्नु (arouse interest) · ru привлека́ть (cause sexual excitement) · th ดึงดูด (pull without touching) · cmn 勾引 (cause sexual excitement) · ru притяну́ть (pull without touching) · ar لَفَتَ (pull without touching) · el ελκύω (arouse interest) · cs přitahovat (pull without touching) · ru привлека́ть (arouse interest) · es atraer (pull without touching) · ka მიზიდვა (arouse interest) · ar جَذَبَ (pull without touching) · ja 引きつける (pull without touching) · gd tarraing (cause sexual excitement) · nl aantrekken (cause sexual excitement) · ar اِجْتَذَبَ (pull without touching) · cmn 引誘 /引诱 (cause sexual excitement) · pt atrair (cause sexual excitement) · es atraer (arouse interest) · cmn 吸引 (arouse interest) · cmn 吸引 (pull without touching) · ja 引きつける (arouse interest) · eo allogi (arouse interest) · sv locka (arouse interest) · la alliciō (pull without touching) · mi whakamanea (pull without touching) · it sedurre (cause sexual excitement) · it affascinare (cause sexual excitement) · th ดึงดูด (arouse interest) · grc ἐφέλκομαι (arouse interest) · eo altiri (pull without touching) · it attirare (pull without touching) · ka მიზიდვა (pull without touching) · fi vetää puoleensa (pull without touching) · de anziehen (pull without touching) · it attrarre (arouse interest) · pt atrair (pull without touching) · el προσελκύω (arouse interest) · cs přitahovat (cause sexual excitement) · fi viehättää (cause sexual excitement)