attract

verb

USuh-TRAKT/əˈtɹækt/

Formsattracts, attracting, attracted

3 meanings of attract

1
verbtransitive
To make someone interested in you or in something, or to make people want to come closer.
Like a flower that pulls bees toward it with its sweet smell.
Bright colors attract young children to the toy store.
The free food attracted a big crowd to the park.
Similardraw, lure, entice, allure, tempt
Oppositerepel, deter, discourage, repulse
Note
2
verbtransitive
To pull something closer without touching it.
Like an invisible hand that gently pulls things closer.
Magnets attract some metals, like iron.
The Earth attracts everything around it, which is why things fall down.
Similardraw, pull
Oppositerepel, repulse
Note
3
verbtransitive
To make something, often something bad, come to you because of what you do.
Parking here without a permit will attract a fine.
His rude comments attracted a lot of angry replies online.
Similarincur, draw, invite, provoke, earn
Note

Practice

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Origin

From Latin attrahere, meaning "to draw to," made from ad ("to") and trahere ("to draw").