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 (UK) (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.
- 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 2313581:
  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.
A magnet attracts iron filings.
(transitive) To draw by moral, emotional or sexual influence; to engage or fix, as the mind, attention, etc.; to invite or allure.
- 1667, John Milton, “Book V”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], […], OCLC 228722708; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, OCLC 230729554:
  Attracted by thy beauty still to gaze.
Advertising is designed to attract customers.
to attract admirers
His big smile and brown eyes instantly attracted me.
(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

attract attention
attract mode
attract screen
minor-attracted person
opposites attract
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
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)
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)
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
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)