attract

at·tract

verb \ə-ˈtrakt\

Definition of ATTRACT

transitive verb

: to cause to approach or adhere: 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>

intransitive verb

: to exercise attraction

— at·trac·tor \-ˈtrak-tər\ noun

Examples of ATTRACT

1. The company has a difficult time attracting good employees because of its poor pay and benefits.
2. The chance to travel around the world attracted me to a career as a flight attendant.
3. The museum attracts visitors from all over the world.
4. The scent will attract certain insects.
5. Certain insects are attracted by the scent.
6. Her bright blue eyes attracted me.
7. The bird's colorful feathers are used to attract a mate.

Origin of ATTRACT

Middle English, from Latin attractus, past participle of attrahere, from ad- + trahere to pull, draw

First Known Use: 15th century

Synonym Discussion of 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>.

Rhymes with ATTRACT

abstract, class act, compact, contact, contract, crookbacked, detract, didact, diffract, distract, enact, entr'acte, epact, exact, extract, humpbacked, hunchbacked, impact, infract, intact, mossbacked, playact, protract, react, redact, refract, retract, sex act, subtract, swaybacked, transact, unbacked