attraction

noun at·trac·tion \ ə-ˈtrak-shən \

Definition of attraction

1 a :the act, process, or power of attracting

b :personal charm

2 :the action or power of drawing forth a response :an attractive quality

3 :a force acting mutually between particles of matter, tending to draw them together, and resisting their separation

4 :something that attracts or is intended to attract people by appealing to their desires and tastes

coming attractions

See attraction defined for English-language learners

See attraction defined for kids

Examples of attraction in a Sentence

The waterfall continues to be the main attraction at the park.
The town's big attraction for movie lovers is the annual film festival.
She is the star attraction of the show.
There's a strong sexual attraction between them.
His attraction to her grew over the course of their time together.
A good relationship is based on more than just physical attraction.
I understand the attraction of skydiving, but I could never do it.
What are the attractions of owning your own business?

Recent Examples of attraction from the Web

Instead of driving people away, though, Pelletz says the attention is drawing curious crowds to the site, which sits steps away from Boston's historic Faneuil Hall and other busy tourist attractions.

— collin binkley, chicagotribune.com, "Wax museum revels in ridicule as critics lampoon its statues," 30 Aug. 2017
Think of them as an accent, not the main attraction.

— Health.com, "4 Simple Ways to Hit Reset on Your Diet After Labor Day," 28 Aug. 2017
That’s part of the attraction of a persistent scam that is floating around on the internet.

— ann carrns, New York Times, "Will Uncle Sam Pay Your Bills? Don’t Fall for It," 25 Aug. 2017
Barcelona’s Las Ramblas is one of the most popular attractions in a city that swarms with foreign tourists in August.

— ciaran giles, The Seattle Times, "Spanish plan for carnage started with botched explosion," 18 Aug. 2017
In the meantime, though, think of the potential attractions!

— devon ivie, Teen Vogue, "A "Hunger Games" and "Twilight" Theme Park Is Actually Happening," 16 Aug. 2017
Redevelopment Executive Director Joseph Van Dyk said the long-range intent of the city is to turn the church remains into an attraction that could get people from outside of Gary to want to visit the city.

— gregory tejeda, Post-Tribune, "Bidders line up to study remains of City Methodist Church in Gary," 3 Aug. 2017
From the muddy delta of the Indus to the barren Baloch coast, a twinkling constellation of attractions is set to rise: luxury hotels, water parks, golf courses, health spas, yacht harbours, night clubs, the works.

— The Economist, "One Lifebelt, One RoadChina makes Pakistan an offer it cannot refuse," 22 July 2017
Building a new ride is pricey, even for a big attraction like SeaWorld.

— The Economist, "Amusement parksVirtual reality gives old fairground rides new purpose," 13 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'attraction.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of attraction

circa 1575

attraction Synonyms

Synonyms

magnet, draw, lodestone (also loadstone)

Related Words

capital, center, cynosure, epicenter, mecca, pole, polestar; allure, allurement, bait, enticement, fascination, lure, temptation, turn-on; appeal, call; incentive, inducement, persuasion, spur, stimulus; curiosity, sight (s), spectacle

Synonym Discussion of attraction

attraction, affinity, sympathy mean the relationship existing between things or persons that are naturally or involuntarily drawn together. attraction implies the possession by one thing of a quality that pulls another to it.

- felt an attraction to danger

affinity implies a susceptibility or predisposition on the part of the one drawn.

- an affinity for mathematics

sympathy implies a reciprocal or natural relation between two things that are both susceptible to the same influence.

- two minds in sympathy

ATTRACTION Defined for English Language Learners

attraction

noun

Definition of attraction for English Language Learners

: something interesting or enjoyable that people want to visit, see, or do
: a performer who people want to see
: a feeling that makes someone romantically or sexually interested in another person