Meaning & use
attention
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Meanings
noununcountable
The act of focusing your mind on someone or something so that you notice and think about it.
Grammar: Uncountable: give it your full attention, not an attention.
Patterns
- pay attention to something
- give someone your full attention
- turn your attention to something
Please pay attention to the instructions before you start the test.
The noise outside kept distracting my attention from the book.
After the call ended, she turned her attention back to the report.
noununcountable
Interest, notice or public interest that people direct toward a person, event or problem.
Grammar: Uncountable: the story attracted attention, not attentions.
Patterns
- attract attention
- draw attention to something
- come to someone's attention
The new bridge has attracted a lot of attention from tourists.
He wore a bright hat to draw attention to the charity stall.
The leak first came to the manager's attention on Monday.
noununcountable
Care, treatment or practical help given to someone or something that needs it.
Grammar: Uncountable and often followed by a modifier: urgent attention, medical attention.
Patterns
- need attention
- give attention to something
The patient needs immediate medical attention.
The old roof is in serious need of attention.
Young puppies demand a great deal of attention.
nounsingularmilitary
A stiff upright standing position, with heels together and arms at the sides, adopted by soldiers on command.
Grammar: Used in the phrase at attention, with no article.
Patterns
- stand at attention
- come to attention
The guards stood at attention while the flag was raised.
The sergeant shouted for the recruits to come to attention.
Please remain at attention until the anthem ends.
Word forms
| plural | attentions |
|---|
Common combinations
- pay attention
- If you don't pay attention in class, you will miss the key steps.
- attract attention
- Her unusual coat attracted attention on the train.
- catch someone's attention
- A flash of color caught my attention.
- undivided attention
- The child wanted her father's undivided attention.
- pay close attention
- Pay close attention to the warning signs.
- bring something to someone's attention
- I must bring a safety problem to your attention.
Synonyms and how they differ
- concentration
- Concentration stresses sustained mental effort on one task, while attention can be brief or a simple act of noticing.
- notice
- Notice is a lighter word for becoming aware of something, whereas attention suggests deliberately focusing on it.
- focus
- Focus is narrower and implies shutting out everything else, while attention can be spread over many things.
- care
- Care fits the helping sense, as in medical care, but it suggests kindness more than attention does.
Opposites
Word family
- attentive adjective
- paying close attention, or considerate toward others
- attentively adverb
- in a way that shows careful listening or watching
- attentiveness noun
- the quality of being attentive
- inattention noun
- failure to pay attention
- attend verb
- to be present at, or to give care or attention to
Commonly confused: attention or attendance? attention or intention?
attention vs attendance
Attendance is being present at a place or event, whereas attention is mental focus.
attention vs intention
Intention is a plan or purpose, whereas attention is focus on something.
Practice
The teacher asked the class to pay ___ to the diagram on the board.
Choose one answer.
We pay attention to something, meaning we focus on it. Attendance and intention look similar but have different meanings, and attend is a verb.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “attention”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.