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)

(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.
(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.
(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	attracted

subjunctive	attract	attracted

imperative	attract	—

participles	attracting	attracted

^†Archaic or obsolete.

Synonyms

allure

Antonyms

repel

Derived terms

Related terms

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)