Attract

Definition: Attract

Attract

Verb

1. Direct toward itself or oneself; "Her good looks attract the stares of many men"; "The ad pulled in many potential customers"; "This pianist pulls huge crowds"; "The store owner was happy that the ad drew in many new customers".

2. Attract or elicit; "The school attracts students with artistic talents"; "His playing drew a crowd"; "The painting fetched more than a million at the auction"; "The star cast pulled many people to the box office".

3. Exert a force on (a body) causing it to approach or prevent it from moving away; "the gravitational pull of a planet attracts other bodies".

4. Be attractive to; "The idea of a vacation appeals to me"; "The beautiful garden attracted many people".

Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
 

Date "attract" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1050. (references)

Note: Attract \At*tract"\, noun. Attraction. [Obsolete]. (references)

Synonyms: Attract

Attention

Catch the eye, strike the eye; attract notice; catch the attention, awaken the attention, wake the attention, invite the attention, solicit the attention, attract the attention, claim the attention excite the attention, engage the attention, occupy the attention, strike the attention, arrest the attention, fix the attention, engross the attention, absorb the attention, rivet the attention, catch the mind, awaken the mind, wake the mind, invite the mind, solicit the mind, attract the mind, claim the mind excite the mind, engage the mind, occupy the mind, strike the mind, arrest the mind, fix the mind, engross the mind, absorb the mind, rivet the mind, catch the thoughts, awaken the thoughts, wake the thoughts, invite the thoughts, solicit the thoughts, attract the thoughts, claim the thoughts excite the thoughts, engage the thoughts, occupy the thoughts, strike the thoughts, arrest the thoughts, fix the thoughts, engross the thoughts, absorb the thoughts, rivet the thoughts; be present to the mind, be uppermost in the mind.

Desire

Cause desire, create desire, raise desire, excite desire, provoke desire; appetize, titillate, allure, attract, take one's fancy, tempt; hold out temptation, hold out allurement; tantalize, make one's mouth water, faire venir l'eau a la bouche.

Love

Excite love; win the heart, gain the heart, win the affections, gain the affections, secure the love, engage the affections; take the fancy of have a place in the heart, wind round the heart; attract, attach, endear, charm, fascinate, captivate, bewitch, seduce, enamor, enrapture, turn the head.

Motive

Verb: induce, move; draw, draw on; bring in its train, give an impulse; Noun: to; inspire; put up to, prompt, call up; attract, beckon.

Ostentation

Verb: be ostentatious; Adjective: come forward, put oneself forward; attract attention, star it.

Pain

Attract, allure; (move); stimulate; (excite); interest.

Recession

Verb: attract, draw; draw towards, pull towards, drag towards; adduce.

Phrase: like charges repel; opposite charges attract; like poles repel, opposite poles attract.

Crosswords: Attract

I think we're going to attract a large group of just dirty, dirty, creepy old men because I think the word's gonna get out that we have a lot of male nudity in our film (Making of 'Jackass: The Movie'; writing credit: Danny Miller)

Oh no, to attract them (Flower Drum Song; writing credit: Joseph Fields)

Are you trying to attract attention again (Help!; writing credit: Marc Behm; Charles Wood)

Nah. That'd just attract a kinkier group (Xena: Warrior Princess; writing credit: Serge Rodnunsky)

But opposites attract you'll see (Causing A Commotion; performing artist: Madonna)

Opposites attract (WHAT'S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT; performing artist: Tina Turner)

Odd objects attract fire--never lurk behind one. (references; author: unknown)

Opposites Attract (1997)

Opposites Attract (performing artist: Paula Abdul featuring The Wild Pair)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Books

• Creating Rainmakers : The Manager's Guide To Training Professionals To Attract New Clients (reference)

• Fast Feng Shui for Singles: 108 Ways to Heal Your Home and Attract Romance (reference)

• Garden Butterflies of North America: A Gallery of Garden Butterflies & How to Attract Them (reference)

• How to Attract the Wombat (Nonpareil Book, 93.) (reference)

• Master Dating: How to Meet & Attract Quality Men! (reference)

  (more book examples)

Theater & Movies

• Opposites Attract (reference)

• Pleasure Zones:Opposites Attract (reference)

• Montana on My Mind:Montana's Attract (reference)

  (more DVD examples; more video examples)

Music

• Opposites Attract (reference)

• Shoes & Radios Attract Paint (reference)

• Summerdays Attract the Pain (reference)

  (more classical music examples; more popular music examples)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Akpatok Island lies in Ungava Bay in northern Quebec, Canada. Accessible only by air, Akpatok Island rises out of the water as sheer cliffs that soar 500 to 800 feet (150 to 243km) above the sea surface. The island is an important sanctuary for cliff-nesting seabirds. Numerous ice floes around the island attract walrus and whales, making Akpatok a traditional hunting ground for native Inuit people. Credit: NASA.

Cartoon-type characters help attract customers. Credit: America's Coastlines.

Local schoolchildren from the Half Moon Bay area repaint the decoys that were used to attract common murres back to Devil Slide Rock. Credit: NOAA Restoration Center.

Scientists and project personnel arrive at Devils Rock to begin placing decoys to attract common murres. Credit: NOAA Restoration Center.

ALVIN deploys baited traps to attract six gill sharks. Credit: National Undersea Research Program (NURP).

Figure 55. Electric lamp invented by the Austrian Klaus Grein in 1912. This lamp was used on the EIDER in 1912 to attract fish at depths from 0 to 800 meters. Credit: Sailing for Science - the NOAA Fleet Then and Now.

Figure 56. Regnard phosphorescent tubes designed by the physiologist Paul Regnard to attract certain marine fish to nets and traps used in biological sampling. These tubes were designed about 1888 and used by Prince Albert I of Monaco with his sampling nets. Left: two-ring model. Right center: one-ring model. Bottom: Reflecting plate. Credit: Sailing for Science - the NOAA Fleet Then and Now.

Air Force recruiters are looking for former military members who might be interested in returning to active duty. The Air Force hopes to attract thousands of former airmen, soldiers, sailors and Marines to return to active duty in fiscal 2001. (P.; photo by A..

About one-eighth-inch long, the female Hessian fly emits a sex pheromone from her ovipositor to attract males. P. Credit: USDA ARS News; photo by Scott Bauer..

It was sure to attract attention and provoke envy and demand for one like it. Credit: Library of Congress.

Source: pictures compiled by the editor from various references; see picture credits.

Jean Valjean had left the garden uncultivated, that it might not attract attention

The parlour fire would not draw that evening and Mr Dedalus rested the poker against the bars of the grate to attract the flame

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

Health

Do not attract birds by feeding them to areas where people are swimming. (references)

Chemokines are small cytokine molecules that attract cells of the immune system. (references)

Make sure that your trash cans and pet foods are secured so that they do not attract wild animals. (references)

Business

It will, in turn, attract more users in China. (references)

Project imports attract an import duty of 20 percent. (references)

Financing plans are key in order to attract new clients. (references)

Children

Morocco

Adoptive servitude is accepted socially, is unregulated by the Government, and has only in recent years begun to attract public criticism. (references)

Civil Liberties

Iraq

These groups continued to attract support despite their illegal status. (references)

Cyprus

Cyprus continued to attract a growing number of asylum seekers (1,620 by year's end), most of whom arrived by small boat. (references)

Economic History

New Zealand

However, few concessions are offered to attract business. (references)

Trinidad

Some are formatted to attract specific ethnic or age groups. (references)

Botswana

The hope is to use its development to attract portfolio investment. (references)

Human Rights

Taiwan

Trials are public, but attendance at trials involving juveniles or potentially sensitive issues that might attract crowds may require court permission. (references)

Marshall Islands

Since President Note was elected, the Government increased judges' salaries by 20 percent to enhance its ability to attract and retain qualified judges. (references)

Guatemala

It was difficult to attract qualified personnel to the courts because of the low salaries offered, but a raise in the salaries of judges attracted greater numbers of higher caliber candidates. (references)

Minorities

Romania

Consequently, actions by other religious groups to attract members are perceived by the Orthodox Church as attempts to diminish the number of its members. (references)

Cote d'Ivoire

Some non-Muslims have opposed construction of mosques, such as the new mosque in Abidjan's Plateau district, because the Islamic duty to give alms daily may attract beggars to neighborhoods containing mosques. (references)

Political Economy

SWEDEN

Sweden does not offer special tax or other inducements to attract foreign capital. (references)

Political Rights

Iraq

These political groups continued to attract support despite their illegal status. (references)

Morocco

Despite the invalidations by the Constitutional Council in 2000, the Council continued to attract criticism for the alleged slow pace of its deliberations. (references)

Antigua and Barbuda

Except for a period in opposition from 1971-76, the Antigua Labour Party has held power continuously since 1951. The opposition has charged that the ALP's longstanding monopoly on patronage and its influence over access to economic opportunities make it extremely difficult for opposition parties to attract membership and financial support. (references)

Trade

Panama

A range of incentives have been established to attract companies into the EPZs. (references)

Zambia

Selected items attract alternative specific duty rates that are protective taxes. (references)

Qatar

Alcoholic beverages attract duty of 100 percent and tobacco products 150 percent. (references)

Travel

Ghana

Ghanaians earning incomes above 48,000,000 cedis (about USD 6,600) per year also attract the same rate. (references)

Women

China

A recent study of how women are portrayed in the media revealed that images of a woman's worth increasingly are linked to her ability to attract a wealthy husband and be a good mother. (references)

Worker Rights

Italy

Leather, fur, and textile industries attract many of the illegal workers. (references)

Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

Expressions using "attract": attract attention ♦ attract customers ♦ attract investment ♦ attract one's attention ♦ attract savings ♦ attract smb.'s attention ♦ attract the attention ♦ opposite poles attract ♦ propensity to attract bad luck. Additional references.

Afrikaans

lok (decoy, lure). (various references)

Albanian

tërheq (allure, appeal, arrest, bewitch, call attention to, capture, catch, charm, daggle, dangle, decoy, drag, draggle, draw, draw out, engage, entice, fetch, fix, haul, heave, invite, jerk, lure, pluck, prepossess, pull, pull out, recall, retract, revoke, stretch, take back, tow, tug, web, withdraw), ngashënjej (allure, seduce), josh (bewitch, charm, dangle, dazzle, decoy, deprave, draw, entice, inveigle, lure, lure away, seduce, tempt, vamp, wile), gozhdoj (chain, nail, nail down, pin, rivet, root, Spike). (various references)

Arabic 

‏لفت (catch, entice, kale), ‏خلب, ‏جذب (allure, attraction, catch, charm, engage, entice, hale, haul, magnetize, press, pull, rivet, strain, tempt), ‏إستهوى (draw, win). (various references)

Bulgarian 

прелъстявам (seduce), притеглям (adduct, draw), привличам (align, allure, appeal, attach, draw on, entice, fetch, inveigle, invite, pull, seduce, whip up). (various references)

Chinese 

吸引 . (various references)

Czech

vzbudit (arouse, call, excite, incur, kindle, to wake up, wake, wake up), vábit (beckon, entice, tempt, woo), přitahovat (magnetize, polarize, seduce), přítahovat (draw), líbit se (enjoy, like, love, please, pleasure, relish). (various references)

Danish

tiltrække. (various references)

Dutch

toelachen (draw), bekoren (charm, draw, entice, tempt), aanlokken (draw). (various references)

Esperanto

altiri, allogi (draw), logi (decoy, lure). (various references)

Faeroese

lokka (decoy, lure), draga til sín, draga at sær (decoy, lure). (various references)

Farsi 

مجذوب ساختن , جلب کردن (Atone, Catch, Engross, Entice, Have, Solicit), جذب کردن (Absorb, Amuse, Imbibe, Magnet, Sop, Sponge). (various references)

Finnish

vetää puoleensa, saada jotakin osakseen (experience, gain, meet with), miellyttää (appeal, catch a person's fancy, please), houkutella (allure, coax, decoy, entice, inveigle, lure, persuade, tempt). (various references)

French

attirer. (various references)

Frisian

oanlûke, ferlokje (draw). (various references)

German

anziehen (adjust, allure, apply, be popular, boom, clothe, draw, draw up, dress, get on, hardness, jerk, make the first move, pull, pull in, pull tight, put on, rise, screw up, set out, shove on, start moving, start pulling, tighten, to attract, to dress, to tog, tug, wear), locken (allure, cluck, curl, curls, decoy, entice, lure, tempt, to attract, to cluck, to entice, tresses, woo). (various references)

Greek 

έλκω (draw, pull, ulcerate), προσελκύω. (various references)

Hebrew 

למשוך (drag, draw, extend, pull, strain, stretch, tempt, tow), לקנות לב, להסב תשומת לב (nudge). (various references)

Hungarian

vonz (draw, drawn, drew, magnetize, to allure, to attract, to draw, to magnetize), csábít (allure, coax, draw, entice, lure, tempt, to allure, to beguile, to entice, to gouge, to lure, to solicit, to wile, wile). (various references)

Indonesian

menarik (appealing, attractive, catchy, draw, engageing, haul, personable, withdraw), memikat (absorb, captivate, enamour, lure). (various references)

Italian

attrarre (allure, appeal, captivate, catch, draw), attirare (allure, catch, draw, engage, pull, pull in, rivet, take). (various references)

Japanese Kanji 

釣り込む (to attract, to take in), 目に触れる (to attract attention, to catch the eye), 惹きつける (to attract, to charm), 惹き付ける (to attract, to charm), 惹く (to attract, to captivate), 微服 (clothing designed not to attract attention), 引きつける (to attract, to fascinate, to have a convulsion, to pull up), 引き付ける (to attract, to fascinate, to have a convulsion, to pull up), 引付る (to attract, to fascinate, to have a convulsion, to pull up), 引付ける (to attract, to fascinate, to have a convulsion, to pull up), 吸いつける (to attract, to be used to), 吸い付ける (to attract, to be used to). (various references)

Japanese Katakana 

すいつける (to attract, to be used to), びふく (clothing designed not to attract attention, fine clothing), ひきつける (to attract, to charm, to fascinate, to have a convulsion, to pull up), ひく (minus, to attract, to captivate, to knock someone down, to play, to pull, to run somebody over, to saw), つりこむ (to attract, to take in), めにふれる (to attract attention, to catch the eye). (various references)

Korean 

끄십시요. (various references)

Manx

cleayney (bank, circumvent, decoy, deviate, dispose, distort, distortion, diversion, divert, draw off, incline, induce, influence, inveigle, list, penchant, persuasion, perversion, predilection, predispose, recede, seduce, stoop, tend, tend as garden, trend, vamp, veer). (various references)

Papiamen

atraé (draw). (various references)

Pig Latin

attractay.(various references)

Polish

przyciągnąć. (various references)

Portuguese

seduzir (allure, bait, beguile, betray, debauch, decoy, drain-away, drive, enchant, entice, enticing, gull, inveigle, lure, ruin, seduce, spell, tempt, trepan, vamp, wile), atrair (allure, appeal, bait, charm, court, decoy, drain-away, draw, drew, enlist, entice, fascinate, inveigle, invite, lure, magnetize, rope, to attract, trepan). (various references)

Portuguese Brazilian

atrair (to attract). (various references)

Romanian

atrage (allure, appeal, bespeak, call, captivate, commend, conciliate, court, decoy, draw, draw in, enamor, enamour, engage, entice, fetch, fix, interest, inveigle, lure, magnetize, win). (various references)

Russian 

привлекать (allure, drum up, enlist, magnetize). (various references)

Scottish

tataidh. (various references)

Serbo-Croatian

privući (appeal, draw near, pull up), privlačiti (lure), primamiti (bait). (various references)

Shona

-kwezva (to attract). (various references)

Spanish

atraer (allure, appeal, appeal to, arrest, attire, beat up, beckon, bring in, draw, draw in, engage, entice, fetch, inveigle, invoke, lure, pull, pull in, tempt), seducir (allure, beguile, debauch, draw, entice, inveigle, lead on, lure, seduce, tempt), encantar (bewitch, captivate, charm, delight, draw, enchant, entrance, glamor, glamour, incant, joy, love, ravish). (various references)

Swedish

attrahera (draw, fetch, magnetize). (various references)

Tagalog

akitin, umakit. (various references)

Turkish

cezbetmek (bait, beguile, captivate, catch, charm, draw on, engross, fascinate, fetch, hypnotize, lure, magnetize, prepossess, wile), çekmek (abide, absorb, arrest, be a sufferer by, be a sufferer from, be cursed with smth., bear, bear with, captivate, carry, catch, charm, claw, conjugate, decline, drag, draw, draw off, draw on, draw out, dwindle, engage, engross, extract, fetch, glamor, glamour, go through, go to scale at, grind, grip, haul, heave, hitch, hoist, hold, inflect, inhale, invite, last out, lug, lump, magnetize, pass through, pique, pluck, prepossess, pull, pull away, pull over, pull up, receive, record, run up, scale in, scale out, schlep, schlepp, shoot, shrink, sip, siphon, siphon off, soak, soak in, sop up, stand the racket, stretch, suck, suffer, sustain, syphon, syphon off, take, take after, take one's medicine, throw back, toss, tow, tow away, tug, turn the scale at, undergo, up with, whisk, withdraw). (various references)

Turkmen 

цzьсe зekmek. (various references)

Ukrainian

чарувати (captivate, charm, enthral, enthrall), притягувати, приваблювати (appeal, captivate, commend, court, fetch, incline, lure, magnetize, pull, take, tempt). (various references)

Welsh

atynnu (withdraw), tynnu (abstract, draw, pull, remove, take off), hudo (allure, beguile, charm), denu (allure, entice). (various references)

adverto, conciliare, concilio, invitati, invitatis, invitatos, invitatus, invitaverat, invitavit. (various references)

Derivations

Words beginning with "attract": attractance, attractances, attractancies, attractancy, attractant, attractants, attracted, attracting, attraction, attractions, attractive, attractively, attractiveness, attractivenesses, attractor, attractors, attracts. (additional references)

Words containing "attract": unattractive, unattractively, unattractiveness, unattractivenesses. (additional references)

Misspellings

"Attract" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: antracyt, Astrac, atrack, atract, atrtack, attaca, attact, attrac, attrace, Attranto, attrit, Attrot, autract, Datatrak. (additional references)

Source: compiled by the editor (additional references); see credits.

Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams

-2 letters: attar, carat, tatar, tract.

-3 letters: acta, cart, tact, tart.

-4 letters: act, arc, art, att, car, cat, rat, tar, tat.

-5 letters: aa, ar, at, ta.

+1 letter: attracts, tractate.

+2 letters: attracted, attractor, tractates.

+3 letters: attractant, attracting, attraction, attractive, attractors, statecraft, triacetate.

+4 letters: abstractest, attractance, attractancy, attractants, attractions, interactant, statecrafts, throatlatch, triacetates.

+5 letters: attractances, attractively, bacteriostat, interactants, reattachment, scatteration, straitjacket, tractability, transductant, unattractive.