traction

traction — noun

1. how well a tyre or wheel holds the road without skidding, especially when a vehi

1.nounB2
Definition

how well a tyre or wheel holds the road without skidding, especially when a vehicle is accelerating, turning, or braking.

Example

Yuki lost traction on the icy road and her car slid into a fence.

collocation: lose traction

Winter tyres with deep treads provide better traction when driving in snow.

collocation: provide traction

Common collocations
  • lose traction
  • gain traction
  • provide traction
  • good traction
  • tyre traction
  • road traction
Synonyms
  • grip

    more general — can refer to hands, shoes, or any surface contact

  • friction

    the scientific term for the physical force that prevents sliding

Antonyms
  • slip

    the loss of traction, usually unintentional

  • skid

    a sliding motion caused by lost traction

Grammar Patterns

lose / gain / provide + traction

traction + on [surface]

Usage Note

Frequently appears with road, tyre, wheel, snow, mud, ice as context words. Often used in safety and driving discussions.

2. the movement of goods or equipment across the ground by pulling, typically using

2.nounB2
Definition

the movement of goods or equipment across the ground by pulling, typically using an engine, animal, or other power source.

Example

Electric traction powers many of the high-speed trains in Japan and Europe.

subject: electric traction

Before engines, horses were the main source of traction for farm work.

collocation: source of traction

Common collocations
  • electric traction
  • steam traction
  • traction engine
  • source of traction
  • traction system
Synonyms
  • pull

    the general action of drawing something towards you

  • haulage

    the commercial transport of goods, more formal and industry-specific

Grammar Patterns

electric / steam / horse + traction

traction + engine / system / unit

Usage Note

Common in technical and historical texts about transport, engineering, and farming. Often paired with electric, steam, or horse as a modifier.

3. a medical procedure in which a broken or damaged bone is held in the correct pos

3.nounC1
Definition

a medical procedure in which a broken or damaged bone is held in the correct position by a system of weights and pulleys that apply a steady, gentle pulling force.

Example

After breaking his thigh bone, Eitan spent two weeks in traction at the hospital.

phrase: in traction

The doctor explained that skin traction would help realign the bones in her leg.

medical collocation: skin traction

Common collocations
  • in traction
  • skin traction
  • traction device
  • traction equipment
  • traction unit
  • put in traction

Grammar Patterns

in + traction

traction + device / equipment / unit

Usage Note

Typically used in the predicative phrase in traction to describe a patient's state. The equipment involved is called a traction device or traction apparatus.

4. the steady growth in support or acceptance that an idea, product, or movement ex

4.nounB2
Definition

the steady growth in support or acceptance that an idea, product, or movement experiences as more people become interested in it.

Example

The new ride-sharing app gained traction quickly among university students in Taipei.

collocation: gain traction

Despite a strong start, the campaign never really gained traction with older voters.

collocation: gain traction with [group]

Common collocations
  • gain traction
  • lose traction
  • commercial traction
  • political traction
  • traction with [group]
Synonyms
  • momentum

    emphasises forward progress and speed of growth

  • popularity

    focuses on being liked or widely used, not just gaining support

  • acceptance

    stresses being received and recognised as valid

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

gain + traction

lose + traction

traction + with [group]

Usage Note

Almost always used with the verb gain (or occasionally lose). The subject is typically an idea, proposal, product, movement, campaign, or trend.

Common Mistakes

The product is gaining attraction.
The product is gaining traction.
'attraction' means something draws people in visually or emotionally; 'traction' means it is building real support or momentum.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Grip, friction, and adhesion all describe how a surface holds against another, but they differ in scope. Grip is the most general term — it can describe hands on a bar, shoes on a floor, or tyres on a road. Friction is the scientific term for the physical force that resists sliding between two surfaces, measured in physics and engineering. Adhesion refers to the sticking together of different substances through molecular or chemical bonding — for instance, how rubber sticks to asphalt at a microscopic level. On the road, a tyre's traction combines all three: the rubber adheres to the surface (adhesion), the weight of the vehicle creates resistance to sliding (friction), and the tread pattern improves the tyre's hold (grip). Everyday drivers tend to say 'good grip' or 'lost grip' rather than using the word traction, which is more common in technical or safety contexts.

grip ↗friction ↗adhesion ↗

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Traction comes from Latin tractio, meaning 'a pulling or drawing,' developed from the verb trahere ('to pull, draw'). It entered English through French in the 15th century, first used in the literal sense of pulling loads. The medical meaning emerged in the 19th century with the development of orthopaedic techniques, and the figurative sense of 'gaining acceptance or popularity' became common in business and media contexts during the late 20th century.