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[illiam] 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.

   to attract admirers

   Advertising is designed to attract customers.

   His big smile and brown eyes instantly attracted me.

   • 1667, John Milton, “Book V”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →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

Conjugation of attract

infinitive	(to) attract
	present tense	past tense
1st-person singular	attract	attracted
2nd-person singular	attract, attractest†	attracted, attractedst†
3rd-person singular	attracts, attracteth†	attracted
plural	attract
subjunctive	attract	attracted
imperative	attract	—
participles	attracting	attracted

^†Archaic or obsolete.

Synonyms

• allure

Antonyms

• repel

Derived terms

• attractability
• attractable
• attractancy
• attract attention
• attractee
• attracticide
• attractile
• attractin
• attractingly
• attract mode
• attract screen
• chemoattract
• counterattract
• minor-attracted person
• nonattracting
• opposites attract
• reattract
• unattracting
• you attract more flies with honey than vinegar

 

Related terms

• attraction
• attractive
• attractor

 

Translations

pull without touching

• Arabic: اِجْتَذَبَ (ijtaḏaba), جَذَبَ (jaḏaba), لَفَتَ (lafata)
• Bulgarian: привличам (bg) (privličam)
• Catalan: atreure (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 吸引 (zh) (xīyǐn)

• Czech: přitahovat (cs)
• Dutch: aantrekken (nl)
• Esperanto: altiri
• Finnish: vetää puoleensa (fi)
• French: attirer (fr)
• Galician: atraer (gl)
• Georgian: მიზიდვა (mizidva)
• German: anziehen (de)
• Greek: έλκω (el) (élko)
• Hungarian: vonz (hu)
• Italian: attirare (it)
• Japanese: 引きつける (ひきつける, hikitsukeru)
• Korean: 끌다 (ko) (kkeulda), 끌어들이다 (kkeureodeurida), 당기다 (ko) (danggida)
• Latin: alliciō
• Maori: whakamanea, whakapoapoa
• Portuguese: atrair (pt)
• Romanian: atrage (ro)
• Russian: притя́гивать (ru) impf (pritjágivatʹ), притяну́ть (ru) pf (pritjanútʹ)
• Scottish Gaelic: tarraing
• Spanish: atraer (es)
• Swedish: attrahera (sv)
• Thai: ดึงดูด (dʉng-dùut)
• Ukrainian: притяга́ти (prytjaháty)

arouse interest

• Catalan: atreure (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 招引 (zh) (zhāoyǐn), 吸引 (zh) (xīyǐn)

• Czech: přitahovat (cs)
• Dutch: aandacht trekken (nl)
• Esperanto: allogi
• Finnish: houkutella (fi)
• Georgian: მიზიდვა (mizidva)
• Greek: ελκύω (el) (elkýo), προσελκύω (el) (proselkýo)

  Ancient: ἐφέλκομαι (ephélkomai)

• Hungarian: vonz (hu), felkelti az érdeklődést
• Italian: attrarre (it)
• Japanese: 引きつける (ひきつける, hikitsukeru)
• Korean: 끌다 (ko) (kkeulda)
• Lithuanian: pritraukti (lt)
• Maori: whakamanea
• Nepali: तान्नु (tānnu)
• Portuguese: atrair (pt)
• Russian: привлека́ть (ru) impf (privlekátʹ), привле́чь (ru) pf (privléčʹ)
• Scottish Gaelic: tarraing
• Spanish: llamar (es)
• Swedish: locka (sv)
• Thai: ดึงดูด (dʉng-dùut)

cause sexual excitement

• Bulgarian: привличам (bg) (privličam)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 勾引 (zh) (gōuyǐn), 引誘／引诱 (zh) (yǐnyòu)

• Czech: přitahovat (cs)
• Dutch: aantrekken (nl)
• Finnish: viehättää (fi)
• Galician: excitar (gl)
• Georgian: მიზიდვა (mizidva)
• Greek: ελκύω (el) (elkýo), προσελκύω (el) (proselkýo)
• Italian: sedurre (it), affascinare (it)
• Japanese: 引きつける (ひきつける, hikitsukeru)
• Polish: pociągać (pl)
• Portuguese: atrair (pt), excitar (pt)
• Romanian: atrage (ro)
• Russian: привлека́ть (ru) impf (privlekátʹ), привле́чь (ru) pf (privléčʹ)
• Scottish Gaelic: tarraing
• Spanish: atraer (es)
• Thai: ดึงดูด (dʉng-dùut)
• Ukrainian: прив́аблювати (pryv́abljuvaty), приверта́ти (pryvertáty)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Arabic: ^{(please verify)} جَذَبَ (jaḏaba)
• French: ^{(please verify)} attirer (fr)
• German: ^{(please verify)} anziehen (de) (1, 2)
• Irish: ^{(please verify)} aom, ^{(please verify)} atarraing, ^{(please verify)} imtharraing, ^{(please verify)} tarraing
• Korean: ^{(please verify)} 끌다 (ko) (kkeulda)
• Telugu: ^{(please verify)} ఆకర్షించు (te) (ākarṣiñcu) (1, 2, 3)

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.