Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary - attract

 verb  Etymology: Middle English, from Latin ~us, past participle of attrahere, from ad- + trahere to pull, draw  Date: 15th century  transitive verb to cause to approach or adhere: as  a. to pull to or draw toward oneself or itself a magnet ~s iron  b. to draw by appeal to natural or excited interest, emotion, or aesthetic sense ; entice ~ attention  intransitive verb to exercise ~ion  • ~or noun Synonyms:  ~, allure, charm, captivate, fascinate, enchant mean to draw another by exerting a powerful influence. ~ applies to any degree or kind of ability to exert influence over another students ~ed by the school's locale. allure implies an enticing by what is fair, pleasing, or seductive an alluring smile. charm implies the power of casting a spell over the person or thing affected and so compelling a response charmed by their hospitality, but it may, like captivate suggest no more than evoking delight or admiration her performances captivated audiences. fascinate suggests a magical influence and tends to stress the ineffectiveness of attempts to resist a story that continues to fascinate children. enchant is perhaps the strongest of these terms in stressing the appeal of the agent and the degree of delight evoked in the subject hopelessly enchanted by her beauty.