an attention span

Meaning

1. 1nouncountable

   The length of time you can keep your mind focused on one thing before getting distracted.

   Grammar: Usually used with a possessive or an adjective: my attention span, a short attention span.

   Patterns

   • have a short/long attention span
   • someone's attention span is getting shorter
   • hold someone's attention span

   Young children usually have a short attention span, so keep each activity brief.

   After hours of scrolling on my phone, my attention span felt completely gone.

   Reading a long novel is hard when your attention span is only a few minutes.

Word forms

Common combinations

a short attention span

The teacher plans short tasks because the class has a short attention span.

a long attention span

Good editors need a long attention span for detailed work.

hold someone's attention span

A dull speaker cannot hold an audience's attention span for an hour.

someone's attention span drops

By late afternoon, the students' attention span drops sharply.

improve your attention span

Regular breaks can actually improve your attention span.

Synonyms and how they differ

concentration

Concentration is the effort of focusing; an attention span is the amount of time that focus lasts.

focus

Focus can mean a single act of concentrating, while an attention span is the length of time you can keep it up.

Opposites

Word family

attention noun

the act of watching or listening carefully to something

attentive adjective

paying careful attention to someone or something

span noun

the length or period that something covers

Commonly confused: an attention span or attention? an attention span or concentration span?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “an attention span”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

Explore more words