draw: The game is currently drawing huge crowds.
appeaclass="underline" On the other hand, the idea appealed to him.
lure: They did not realise that they were being lured into a trap.
entice: They'll entice doctors to move from the cities by paying them better salaries.
at|trac|tion /ətræ kʃ ə n/ (attractions )
1 N‑UNCOUNT Attraction is a feeling of liking someone, and often of being sexually interested in them. □ His love for her was not just physical attraction.
2 N‑COUNT An attraction is a feature which makes something interesting or desirable. □ [+ of ] …the attractions of living on the waterfront.
3 N‑COUNT An attraction is something that people can go to for interest or enjoyment, for example a famous building. □ The walled city is an important tourist attraction.
at|trac|tive ◆◇◇ /ətræ kt I v/
1 ADJ A person who is attractive is pleasant to look at. □ She's a very attractive woman. □ He was always immensely attractive to women. ● at|trac|tive|ness N‑UNCOUNT □ Most of us would say that physical attractiveness does not play a major part in how we react to the people we meet.
2 ADJ Something that is attractive has a pleasant appearance or sound. □ The creamy white flowers are attractive in the spring. ● at|trac|tive|ly ADV [usu ADV -ed/adj] □ It's an attractively illustrated, detailed guide that's very practical.
3 ADJ You can describe something as attractive when it seems worth having or doing. □ Smoking is still attractive to many young people who see it as glamorous. ● at|trac|tive|ly ADV [ADV -ed/adj] □ The services are attractively priced and are tailored to suit individual requirements.
at|trib|ut|able /ətr I bjʊtəb ə l/ ADJ If something is attributable to an event, situation, or person, it is likely that it was caused by that event, situation or person. □ [+ to ] 10,000 deaths a year from chronic lung disease are attributable to smoking.
at|trib|ute (attributes , attributing , attributed ) The verb is pronounced /ətr I bjuːt/. The noun is pronounced /æ tr I bjuːt/. 1 VERB If you attribute something to an event or situation, you think that it was caused by that event or situation. □ [V n + to ] Women tend to attribute their success to external causes such as luck.
2 VERB If you attribute a particular quality or feature to someone or something, you think that they have got it. □ [V n + to ] People were beginning to attribute superhuman qualities to him.
3 VERB [usu passive] If a piece of writing, a work of art, or a remark is attributed to someone, people say that they wrote it, created it, or said it. □ [be V -ed + to ] This, and the remaining frescoes, are not attributed to Giotto.
4 N‑COUNT An attribute is a quality or feature that someone or something has. □ Cruelty is a normal attribute of human behaviour.
at|tri|tion /ətr I ʃ ə n/ N‑UNCOUNT Attrition is a process in which you steadily reduce the strength of an enemy by continually attacking them. [FORMAL ] □ The rebels have declared a cease-fire in their war of attrition against the government.
at|tuned /ətjuː nd, [AM ] ətuː nd/
1 ADJ If you are attuned to something, you can understand and appreciate it. □ He seemed unusually attuned to people's feelings.
2 ADJ If your ears are attuned to a sound, you can hear it and recognize it quickly. □ [+ to ] Their ears were still attuned to the sounds of the London suburb.
atypi|cal /e I t I p I k ə l/ ADJ Someone or something that is atypical is not typical of its kind. □ The economy of the province was atypical because it was particularly small.
auber|gine /oʊ bə r ʒiːn/ (aubergines ) N‑VAR An aubergine is a vegetable with a smooth, dark purple skin. [BRIT ] in AM, use eggplant
auburn /ɔː bə r n/ COLOUR Auburn hair is reddish brown.
auc|tion ◆◇◇ /ɔː kʃ ə n/ (auctions , auctioning , auctioned )
1 N‑VAR [oft for/at N , N n] An auction is a public sale where goods are sold to the person who offers the highest price. □ He bought the picture at auction in London some years ago.
2 VERB If something is auctioned , it is sold in an auction.
▸ auction off PHRASAL VERB If you auction off something, you sell it to the person who offers the most money for it, often at an auction. □ [be V -ed P ] Her dresses will be auctioned off for charity. □ [V n P ] We later auctioned it off to raise money for Jamie's foundation.
auc|tion|eer /ɔː kʃən I ə r / (auctioneers ) N‑COUNT An auctioneer is a person in charge of an auction.
auda|cious /ɔːde I ʃəs/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] Someone who is audacious takes risks in order to achieve something. □ …an audacious plan to win the presidency.
audac|ity /ɔːdæ s I ti/ N‑UNCOUNT Audacity is audacious behaviour. □ I was shocked at the audacity and brazenness of the gangsters.
audible /ɔː d I b ə l/ ADJ A sound that is audible is loud enough to be heard. □ The Colonel's voice was barely audible. ● audibly /ɔː d I bli/ ADV □ Hugh sighed audibly.
audi|ence ◆◆◇ /ɔː diəns/ (audiences )
1 N‑COUNT [with sing or pl verb] The audience at a play, concert, film, or public meeting is the group of people watching or listening to it. □ He was speaking to an audience of students at the Institute for International Affairs.