attract and pull share a recorded sense, so the question is not what they mean but which one fits. attract means “direct toward itself or oneself by means of some psychological power or physical attributes”. pull means “cause to move by pulling”. pull is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/əˈtɹækt/
1.v.direct toward itself or oneself by means of some psychological power or physical attributes
“Her good looks attract the stares of many men”
2.v.be attractive to
“The idea of a vacation appeals to me”
3.v.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”
/ˈpʊl/
1.v.cause to move by pulling
“draw a wagon”
2.v.direct toward itself or oneself by means of some psychological power or physical attributes
“Her good looks attract the stares of many men”
3.v.move into a certain direction
“the car pulls to the right”
| attract | pull | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /əˈtɹækt/ | /ˈpʊl/ |
| Said | uh-TRAKT | puul |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Letters | 7 | 4 |
| Parts of speech | verb | verb, noun |
| Senses | 3 | 24 |
| How common | Common | Core |
| Synonyms | pull, pull in, draw | draw |
Full entry for attract · Full entry for pull · More comparisons