attentive
Americanadjective
-
characterized by or giving attention; observant.
an attentive audience.
- Antonyms:
- unconcerned, apathetic, indifferent
-
thoughtful of others; considerate; polite; courteous.
an attentive host.
adjective
-
paying attention; listening carefully; observant
-
careful to fulfil the needs or wants (of); considerate (about)
she was always attentive to his needs
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of attentive
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Middle French; see attent ( def. ), -ive ( def. )
Explanation
Use the adjective attentive to describe someone who is alert and paying attention: “Attentive observers of the play used clues given in the first scenes of the play to guess the identity of the murderer.” You probably notice that the word attentive looks a lot like the noun attention. It’s easy to remember how to use attentive when you know that the words share related meanings. Use the adjective attentive to describe someone who is full of attention, watching and listening carefully, such as an attentive student who takes great notes and asks questions when something isn't clear.
Vocabulary lists containing attentive
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Essential Academic Vocabulary for Middle School Students, List 4
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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.
Attentive Energy is one of four projects proposed in New Jersey’s most recent round of solicitations for offshore wind projects.
From Seattle Times • Nov. 20, 2023
Community competes with a bevy of different types of services vying for space in your text inbox, from Attentive to Twilio to Zendesk.
From New York Times • Apr. 22, 2023
Attentive to detail, nurse Anja Thomas brushed off several long eyelashes that had fallen on Hannah’s checks.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 3, 2022
Attentive to the future and the opportunity to shape the court for many years ahead, Roosevelt chose a nominee more than a generation younger than Hand.
From Slate • Jul. 19, 2021
Attentive to what I’d been taught, I approached Bear.
From "Crispin: The Cross of Lead" by Avi
Definitions 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.
