attractive
Americanadjective
-
providing pleasure or delight, especially in appearance or manner; pleasing; charming; alluring.
an attractive personality.
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arousing interest or engaging one's thought, consideration, etc.: an attractive price.
an attractive idea;
an attractive price.
-
having the quality of attracting.
adjective
-
appealing to the senses or mind through beauty, form, character, etc
-
arousing interest
an attractive opportunity
-
possessing the ability to draw or pull
an attractive force
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of attractive
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English attractif, attractive, (from Middle French at(t)ractif ), from Late Latin attractīvus “(of a medicine) having drawing power, absorptive,” derivative of attractus , “drawn, contracted,” see attract, -ive
Explanation
Anybody or anything that's attractive is visually pleasing or draws you in. Being attractive has to do with attracting others, one way or another. If you're talking about a magnet, that's a literal, physical kind of attraction. For people, being attractive usually means you're beautiful or handsome enough to pull in the attention of others. But having a great personality or a good job are attractive traits, too. If someone offered to give you something valuable for a good price, you could also say, "That's an attractive offer" — meaning it's tempting.
Vocabulary lists containing attractive
Structure and Properties of Matter - Middle School
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Structure and Properties of Matter - Introductory
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Positive Words to Describe People, List 2
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Still, Treasury yields remain at levels that look attractive for medium-term investors, analysts said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026
Group the pots neatly, set out some attractive ladles and arrange the garnishes nearby.
From Salon ● Oct. 20, 2026
Computer-science professors and department chairs maintain that computer-science degrees are still valuable and that the major will remain attractive to students.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 19, 2026
The options are not attractive: avoid vast swaths of coastline, or live with a poorly understood risk.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 19, 2026
Penelope looked around but saw only moss, trees, and some lovely specimens of the common but ruggedly attractive swashbuckler fern, with its long, swordlike fronds and thick stems that were sturdy as peg legs.
From "The Unseen Guest" by Maryrose Wood
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
