attention span
Americannoun
-
attention spans
plural
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of attention span
First recorded in 1930–35
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.
Garret Martin, a foreign policy expert at American University, said Trump "famously has a short attention span."
From Barron's ● Aug. 25, 2026
The short attention span Schwartz described is now even more pronounced.
From Salon ● Aug. 7, 2026
Yes, budgets can be boring, especially to a president with a famously short attention span.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 16, 2026
Leah Robinson, whose son Owen is also two, says she sees the effects of screen time on the attention span of children as they get older through her work at a school.
From BBC ● Mar. 27, 2026
My attention span and my motivation rank up there with that of a sea cucumber.
From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman
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.
