attract

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

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

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

The museum tends to attract a broad swath of ages, from middle school on up to senior citizens—though school vacation periods do bring in a younger, elementary school–aged crowd, too. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Sep. 2026

As much as Anthrax were driven this time by the desire to attract new fans, they were also motivated by many popular new metal albums — and not in a good way. — Jon Wiederhorn, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026

The women’s professional soccer team wants to expand the stadium from 11,500 seats to 18,000 seats, which could help attract major events. — Dylan Lysen, Kansas City Star, 17 Sep. 2026

The festival typically attracts 100,000 visitors who enjoy the South Florida weather and celebrate Caribbean culture. — Raisa Habersham, Miami Herald, 17 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

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

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

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