attract

verb

at·​tract ə-ˈtrakt How to pronounce attract (audio)
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 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 has attracted the attention of Sen. Tim Scott, the ranking Republican member of the Senate subcommittee on Africa and a member of the Senate subcommittee on banking. Paul Tilsley, Fox News, 17 Mar. 2024 The school was built in the 1950s when Rolando was a young and developing neighborhood attracting new homebuyers, and like many other San Diego neighborhoods, Rolando developments used racially restrictive covenants that prevented people of color from buying homes. Kristen Taketa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Mar. 2024 The modern, bright decor that feels youthful and sophisticated — in both the common areas and The hotel attracts a fun mix of visitors and locals. Denny Lee, Travel + Leisure, 17 Mar. 2024 So, again spiking attendance, a famed co-pro meet has developed ever more as licensing market, the presence of international distributors attracting ever more companies which are still facing huge competition to snag sales. John Hopewell, Variety, 15 Mar. 2024 Take a cue from Zillow's research and look to moody colors rather than the usual white or taupe to attract buyers. Sharon Greenthal, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 Mar. 2024 That deal was part of the struggling platform's efforts to bolster its content offerings and attract advertisers. David Hamilton, Quartz, 14 Mar. 2024 Portland’s economy was hit hard by pandemic lockdowns and by protests after the murder of George Floyd, which attracted forceful federal crackdowns and resulted in a national narrative of violence and chaos in the city. Callie Holtermann, New York Times, 14 Mar. 2024 The following months are spent migrating back north, attracting droves of avid whale watchers in the U.S. However, rare sightings of gray whales in the Atlantic have stirred excitement from time to time, leading to speculation about the species' sporadic appearances near the East Coast. Jack Knudson, Discover Magazine, 14 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'attract.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of attract was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near attract

Cite this Entry

“Attract.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/attract. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

attract

verb
at·​tract ə-ˈtrakt How to pronounce attract (audio)
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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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