pull
verb · noun
Simple meaning
To apply a force to so that it comes toward the person or thing applying the force.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
puulIPA pronunciation (US)
pʰʊːɫ
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
verb
To apply a force to (an object) so that it comes toward the person or thing applying the force.
To attract or net; to pull in.
To gather with the hand, or by drawing toward oneself; to pluck.
To achieve by rowing on a rowing machine.
“I pulled a personal best on the erg yesterday.”
To toss a frisbee with the intention of launching the disc across the length of a field.
To draw apart; to tear; to rend.
noun
An act of pulling (applying force)
Any device meant to be pulled, as a lever, knob, handle, or rope
An attractive force which causes motion towards the source
Something in one's favour in a comparison or a contest; an advantage; means of influencing.
“In weights the favourite had the pull.”
A contest; a struggle.
A journey made by rowing
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- A2 · Elementary (estimated)
- Frequency
- Common
- Typical Use
- Everyday English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: To apply a force to (an object) so that it comes toward the person or thing applying the force.
Used this way, pull is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- No strong connotation
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
How It’s Used
The word’s distinct uses, one example each.
Achieveverb
“I pulled a personal best on the erg yesterday.”
Favournoun
“In weights the favourite had the pull.”
More ways to use pull
- “I pulled a muscle in my leg when I jumped up.”verb
- “The car pulls to the right.”verb
- “A declining dollar pulled down the export figures for the last quarter.”verb
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Inflected forms
Grammatical variations of the same word.
The act of pulling.
Someone who applies force so as to cause motion toward herself or himself.
Word family
Words built from the same root.
A simple machine consisting of a wheel with a groove in which a rope can run to change the direction or point of application of a force applied to the rope.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
Tear down so as to make flat with the ground.
A roadside cafe especially for lorry drivers.
Make a retreat from an earlier commitment or activity.
Designated paved area beside a main road where cars can stop temporarily.
Do one's share in a common task.
Move out or away.
Related words
Connected by subject or meaning, not by word formation.
A sweater that is put on by pulling it over the head.
Related Words
Connected to the same idea, not synonyms.
More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API (CC BY-SA 3.0). Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.