attain (v.)

  1. to gain with effort; she achieved her goal despite setbacks

    [ Syn: achieve , accomplish , reach ]

  2. reach a point in time, or a certain state or level; The thermometer hit 100 degrees; This car can reach a speed of 140 miles per hour

    [ Syn: reach , hit ]

  3. find unexpectedly; the archeologists chanced upon an old tomb; she struck a goldmine; The hikers finally struck the main path to the lake

    [ Syn: fall upon , strike , come upon , light upon , chance upon , come across , chance on , happen upon , discover ]

  4. reach a destination, either real or abstract; We hit Detroit by noon; The water reached the doorstep; We barely made it to the finish line; I have to hit the MAC machine before the weekend starts

    [ Syn: reach , make , hit , arrive at , gain ]

The dictionary is based on the WordNet Electronic Lexical Database.
WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2011 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.