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

This new district project hopes to attract more visitors and drive economic growth, housing and job creation, the release said. —Noelle Alviz-Gransee, Kansas City Star, 23 Apr. 2024

Tanzania relies heavily on tourism to finance its budget, and the country has long been trying to develop its extensive national parks to attract more visitors. —Rodney Muhumuza, Quartz, 23 Apr. 2024

The university said the cost of living and salaries have led to high turnover as employees are offered higher paying jobs, so Boise State has had to raise salaries to attract and retain faculty and staff. —Becca Savransky, Idaho Statesman, 23 Apr. 2024

The song definitely worked its magic, attracting a new label and eventually becoming the first of McCreery’s five No. 1 singles. —Nancy Kruh, Peoplemag, 23 Apr. 2024

This would attract more opportunities from surrounding areas. —Harrison Mantas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Apr. 2024

The battalion has attracted other Orthodox soldiers as well, including hard-line nationalists from the West Bank settler movement. —Julian E. Barnes, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2024

If a Silicon Valley giant attempted to take over TikTok, that would almost certainly attract scrutiny from antitrust enforcers in Washington, who have grown increasingly skeptical of deals that increase the reach of already-massive tech firms. —Bobby Allyn, NPR, 20 Apr. 2024

The convention is on track to become a showcase for the likely Republican nominee Donald Trump, a polarizing figure who could be expected to attract both vocal opponents and loyal supporters of the former president outside the downtown event venues. —Alison Dirr, Journal Sentinel, 19 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Phrases Containing attract

• attract/get someone's attention
• opposites attract

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