attract

English

Etymology

From Latin attractus, past participle of attrahere (“to draw to, attract”), from ad (“to”) + trahere (“to draw”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /əˈtɹækt/

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ækt

Verb

attract (third-person singular simple present attracts, present participle attracting, simple past and past participle attracted)

1. (transitive) To pull toward without touching.

   A magnet attracts iron filings.

   • 1713, W[illiam] Derham, Physico-Theology: Or, A Demonstration of the Being and Attributes of God, from His Works of Creation. , London: W Innys, , →OCLC:

     All bodies, and all the parts of bodies, mutually attract themselves, and one another.

   • 2013 July-August, Stephen P. Lownie, David M. Pelz, “Stents to Prevent Stroke”, in American Scientist:

     The reason plaque forms isn’t entirely known, but it seems to be related to high levels of cholesterol inducing an inflammatory response, which can also attract and trap more cellular debris over time.

2. (transitive) To draw by moral, emotional or sexual influence; to engage or fix, as the mind, attention, etc.; to invite or allure.

   Advertising is designed to attract customers.

   to attract admirers

   His big smile and brown eyes instantly attracted me.

   • 1667, John Milton, “Book V”, in Paradise Lost. , London: [Samuel Simmons], , →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: , London: Basil Montagu Pickering , 1873, →OCLC:

     Attracted by thy beauty still to gaze.

3. (transitive) To incur.

   Using the minibar in a hotel room attracts additional charges.

Conjugation

Synonyms

• allure

Antonyms

• repel

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

Further reading

• “attract”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• “attract”, in The Century Dictionary , New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
• “attract”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.