attractive
Americanadjective
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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.
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having the quality of attracting.
adjective
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appealing to the senses or mind through beauty, form, character, etc
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arousing interest
an attractive opportunity
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possessing the ability to draw or pull
an attractive force
Other Word Forms
- attractively adverb
- attractiveness noun
- superattractive adjective
- unattractive adjective
- unattractively adverb
- unattractiveness noun
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,” 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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Structure and Properties of Matter - High School
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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.
"These conspiracies are attractive for a host of reasons including that they are linked to the allure of having 'secret knowledge' or being aware of things others don't know."
From Barron's • Apr. 11, 2026
Emerging-markets ETFs that have holdings in mining companies that produce copper, silver and other metals needed for AI and data centers are also looking attractive, say investment pros.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026
IBM’s capital intensity is also notably lower than that of hyperscalers and cloud infrastructure providers, which merits a more attractive forward free cash flow multiple, Boolani wrote.
From Barron's • Apr. 10, 2026
The series is both watchable and trying, given its many tonal shifts and an able, attractive cast, some of whom are assigned to play quite annoying people.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026
She knew that, objectively, Henry was attractive; she’d seen women eye him during Sunday luncheons.
From "Out of Darkness" by Ashley Hope Pérez
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.
