attract

1 of 2

verb

at·​tract ə-ˈtrakt 

attracted; attracting; attracts

transitive verb

: to cause to approach or adhere: such as

a

: to pull to or draw toward oneself or itself

A magnet attracts iron.

b

: to draw by appeal to natural or excited interest, emotion, or aesthetic sense : entice

attract attention

The museum attracts visitors.

intransitive verb

: to exercise attraction

Opposites attract.

attractor

ə-ˈtrak-tər 

noun

attractor

2 of 2

noun

at·​trac·​tor ə-ˈtrak-tər also -ˌtȯr 

plural -s

1

or less commonly attracter

ə-ˈtrak-tər

: a person or thing that attracts someone or something

… it is far and away the best attractor of the whitetail deer I have ever known.

—Bill Geagan, Field & Stream, December 1970

… the flower spikes are great hummingbird and butterfly attracters.

—Kathy Huber, Houston Chronicle, 12 Nov. 2011

2

: a state or group of states of a dynamic physical or mathematical system toward which the system trends

Students of chaos have clung to the notion that chaotic systems retain some shreds of order. The shreds manifest themselves in the form of an attractor, a pattern of behavior toward which the system periodically settles.

—Philip Yam, Scientific American, March 1994

Such waves are termed internal gravity waves. They permeate both the atmosphere and the ocean, and are very important for their internal dynamics on small to medium scales, where they transport momentum and cause local mixing. They may also exist in closed containers, where they converge on 'attractors'—closed curves determined by the geometry of the container—and then propagate energy along them.

—Peter G. Baines, Nature, 7 Aug. 1997

see also strange attractor

Choose the Right Synonym for attract

attract, allure, charm, captivate, fascinate, enchant mean to draw another by exerting a powerful influence.

attract applies to any degree or kind of ability to exert influence over another.

students attracted by the school's locale

allure implies an enticing by what is fair, pleasing, or seductive.

an alluring smile

charm implies the power of casting a spell over the person or thing affected and so compelling a response,

charmed by their hospitality

but it may, like captivate, suggest no more than evoking delight or admiration.

her performances captivated audiences

fascinate suggests a magical influence and tends to stress the ineffectiveness of attempts to resist.

a story that continues to fascinate children

enchant is perhaps the strongest of these terms in stressing the appeal of the agent and the degree of delight evoked in the subject.

hopelessly enchanted by her beauty

Examples of attract in a Sentence

Verb

The company has a difficult time attracting good employees because of its poor pay and benefits.

The chance to travel around the world attracted me to a career as a flight attendant.

The museum attracts visitors from all over the world.

The scent will attract certain insects.

Certain insects are attracted by the scent.

Her bright blue eyes attracted me.

The bird's colorful feathers are used to attract a mate.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

The other clock hiding inside it The TC001 has attracted an enthusiastic home-automation following because it can be used with AWTRIX, an open-source firmware and ecosystem designed around small LED matrix displays. — New Atlas, 27 Aug. 2026

Dubai has spent the past decade attracting entrepreneurs, financiers, executives and increasingly wealthy expats from around the world. — Inzamam Rashid, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2026

And that’s just not a pairing that really attracts working class people. — David Weigel, semafor.com, 26 Aug. 2026

The brash attitude that’s attracted fans on social media didn’t win her points at home. — Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 26 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English attracten, borrowed from Latin attractus, past participle of attrahere "to draw with force, drag toward, compel to come," from ad- ad- + trahere "to drag, draw, take along" — more at abstract entry 1

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Phrases Containing attract

• attract/get someone's attention
• opposites attract

Rhymes for attract

• abstract
• attacked
• contact
• contract
• detract
• distract
• enact
• exact
• extract
• hijacked
• impact
• intact

Kids Definition

attract

verb

at·​tract ə-ˈtrakt 

1

: to pull to or toward oneself or itself

a magnet attracts iron

2

: to draw by appealing to interest or feeling

attract attention

Etymology

Verb

Middle English attracten "attract, cause to adhere," derived from Latin attrahere, literally "to draw near," from at-, ad- "to, toward" and trahere "to draw" — related to abstract, trace entry 1, trace entry 3