attraction

Meanings

1. 1noununcountable

   A feeling of interest or desire that draws you toward a person.

   Grammar: Often uncountable and followed by to or between: attraction to someone.

   Patterns

   • attraction to someone
   • attraction between people

   There was an instant attraction between them at the party.

   She felt a strong attraction to the quiet stranger.

   Mutual attraction is not enough to make a friendship last.

2. 2nouncountable

   A place, show or feature that people want to visit or see.

   Grammar: Countable: a main attraction, three attractions.

   Patterns

   • a tourist attraction
   • the main attraction

   The castle is the town's biggest tourist attraction.

   The new water park is the summer's main attraction.

   Several attractions in the city are free on Sundays.

3. 3nouncountable or uncountable

   A pleasing quality that makes something appealing.

   Grammar: Often followed by of or for: the attraction of living by the sea.

   Patterns

   • the attraction of something
   • the attraction for someone

   The attraction of the job was the flexible schedule.

   City life holds little attraction for him.

   One attraction of cycling is that it costs very little.

4. 4noununcountablephysics

   The force that pulls objects toward one another, such as magnetism or gravity.

   Grammar: A physics sense, often with between: the attraction between magnets.

   Patterns

   • attraction between something and something

   The attraction between the two magnets made them snap together.

   Gravitational attraction keeps the moon in orbit.

   Opposite charges show an electrical attraction.

Word forms

Common combinations

tourist attraction

The old harbor is a popular tourist attraction.

main attraction

The fireworks were the main attraction of the festival.

physical attraction

Physical attraction was only part of why they married.

mutual attraction

Their mutual attraction was obvious to everyone.

major attraction

The zoo is a major attraction for families.

feel an attraction to

He felt an attraction to the city's music scene.

Synonyms and how they differ

appeal

Appeal is the general pull a thing has, while attraction can also name a visitor spot or a physical force.

draw

Draw is informal and often refers to an event or person that pulls crowds, while attraction sounds more neutral.

allure

Allure carries a sense of mystery or temptation that attraction does not necessarily have.

landmark

A landmark is a recognizable site, whereas an attraction is anything visitors come to see or enjoy.

Opposites

Word family

attract verb

to draw interest or pull toward

attractive adjective

pleasing to look at or appealing

attractively adverb

in a pleasing way

attractiveness noun

the quality of being appealing

Commonly confused: attraction or distraction?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “attraction”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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