it factor

Meanings

1. 1nounsingularinformal

   A special, hard-to-define quality that makes someone or something attract attention and succeed.

   Grammar: Used with "the" and no plural: you say "She has the it factor," not "an it factor."

   Patterns

   • have the it factor
   • the it factor of someone/something
   • someone's it factor

   Casting directors said the young singer had the it factor the moment she walked into the room.

   The brand lost the it factor when it stopped taking risks with its designs.

   Reviewers keep asking what gives a small cafe the it factor that turns it into a neighborhood favorite.

2. 2nounsingularinformal

   An appealing, magnetic quality that makes a performer or product stand out from similar ones.

   Grammar: Often used after "that" or "real": "that it factor," "real it factor."

   Patterns

   • that it factor
   • real it factor
   • give something the it factor

   His stage presence gives the band that it factor that keeps fans coming back.

   The new phone has the it factor that earlier models were missing.

   Designers talk about the it factor as something you recognize instantly but cannot easily copy.

Common combinations

have the it factor

Many hopefuls audition, but only a few clearly have the it factor.

lose the it factor

Critics say the series lost the it factor after its lead actor left.

that it factor

Her smile gives the whole campaign that it factor.

the it factor of something

The it factor of the old hotel comes from its staff, not its decor.

real it factor

The judges are looking for real it factor, not just good technique.

Synonyms and how they differ

charisma

Charisma is a more formal word for personal charm that draws people; the it factor is broader and can also describe products or brands.

star quality

Star quality is close in meaning but usually applies only to performers, while the it factor can apply to anything from a person to a restaurant.

appeal

Appeal is a neutral, general word for being attractive or interesting; the it factor suggests something stronger and more mysterious.

magnetism

Magnetism stresses an almost physical pull that people feel toward someone; the it factor is more about overall success and attention.

Commonly confused: it factor or X factor?

Practice

Make it your own

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

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