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Detain vs Attract - What's the difference?

detain | attract |

As verbs the difference between detain and attract

is that detain is keep (someone) from proceeding by holding them back or making claims on their attention while attract is to pull toward without touching.

detain

English

Verb

(en verb)
  • Keep (someone) from proceeding by holding them back or making claims on their attention.
  • To put under custody.
  • To keep back or from; to withhold.
  • * Jeremy Taylor
  • Detain not the wages of the hireling.

    attract

    English

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To pull toward without touching.
  • * Derham
  • All bodies and all parts of bodies mutually attract themselves and one another.
  • *{{quote-magazine, year=2013, month=July-August, author= Stephen P. Lownie], [http://www.americanscientist.org/authors/detail/david-m-pelz David M. Pelz
  • , magazine=(American Scientist), title= Stents to Prevent Stroke , passage=As we age, the major arteries of our bodies frequently become thickened with plaque, a fatty material with an oatmeal-like consistency that builds up along the inner lining of blood vessels. The reason plaque forms isn’t entirely known, but it seems to be related to high levels of cholesterol inducing an inflammatory response, which can also attract and trap more cellular debris over time.}}
  • To arouse interest.
  • To draw by moral, emotional or sexual influence; to engage or fix, as the mind, attention, etc.; to invite or allure.
  • * (John Milton)
  • Attracted by thy beauty still to gaze.

    Synonyms

    * allure

    Antonyms

    * repel