Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

attentive

American  
[uh-ten-tiv] / əˈtɛn tɪv /

adjective

  1. characterized by or giving attention; observant.

    an attentive audience.
    Synonyms:
    watchful, awake, alert, aware, mindful, heedful
    Antonyms:
    unconcerned, apathetic, indifferent

  2. thoughtful of others; considerate; polite; courteous.

    an attentive host.
attentive British  
/ əˈtɛntɪv /

adjective

  1. paying attention; listening carefully; observant

  2. careful to fulfil the needs or wants (of); considerate (about)

    she was always attentive to his needs
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • attentively adverb
  • attentiveness noun
  • overattentive adjective
  • overattentively adverb
  • unattentive adjective
  • unattentively adverb

Etymology

Origin of attentive

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Middle French; attent ( def. ), -ive ( def. )

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.