[syn: attract, appeal]
3. exert a force on (a body) causing it to approach or prevent it from moving away;
- Example: "the gravitational pull of a planet attracts other bodies"
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Attract \At*tract"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Attracted; p. pr. &
vb. n. Attracting.] [L. attractus, p. p. of attrahere; ad +
trahere to draw. See Trace, v. t.]
1. To draw to, or cause to tend to; esp. to cause to
approach, adhere, or combine; or to cause to resist
divulsion, separation, or decomposition.
[1913 Webster]
All bodies and all parts of bodies mutually attract
themselves and one another. --Derham.
[1913 Webster]
2. To draw by influence of a moral or emotional kind; to
engage or fix, as the mind, attention, etc.; to invite or
allure; as, to attract admirers.
[1913 Webster]
Attracted by thy beauty still to gaze. --Milton.
[1913 Webster]
Syn: To draw; allure; invite; entice; influence.
[1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Attract \At*tract"\, n.
Attraction. [Obs.] --Hudibras.
[1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
attract
v 1: direct toward itself or oneself by means of some
psychological power or physical attributes; "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" [syn: attract, pull, pull in, draw,
draw in] [ant: beat back, drive, force back, push
back, repel, repulse]
2: be attractive to; "The idea of a vacation appeals to me";
"The beautiful garden attracted many people" [syn: attract,
appeal] [ant: repel, repulse]
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"
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:
63 Moby Thesaurus words for "attract":
adduct, affect the interest, allure, appeal, appeal to,
be attractive, be magnetic, becharm, beckon, beguile, bewitch,
captivate, carry away, charm, concern, court, drag, draw, draw in,
draw on, draw towards, enamor, enchant, endear, engage, enrapture,
entice, entrance, excite, excite interest, fascinate, fetch,
have an attraction, hold in thrall, infatuate, inflame with love,
interest, intrigue, inveigle, invite, involve in, lure, magnet,
magnetize, pique, provoke, pull, pull towards, seduce, solicit,
stimulate, suck in, summon, take, tantalize, tease, tempt, tickle,
titillate, tug, vamp, whet the appetite, wile