Meaning & use
attentive
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Meanings
adjectivecomparable
Giving careful notice to what is being said or happening around you.
Grammar: Often followed by to: be attentive to the details.
Patterns
- attentive to something
- an attentive audience
The class was attentive throughout the whole lecture.
Be attentive to the road signs in unfamiliar towns.
An attentive reader will notice the clue on the first page.
adjectivecomparable
Thoughtful about other people's needs, showing consideration and politeness.
Grammar: Used for hosts, staff and partners; often followed by to.
Patterns
- attentive to someone
- an attentive waiter
The waiter was attentive without being annoying.
She is an attentive daughter who calls every evening.
The nurses were attentive to every patient's needs.
Word forms
| comparative | more attentive |
|---|---|
| superlative | most attentive |
Common combinations
- attentive to
- The doctor was attentive to my worries.
- attentive listener
- She is a kind, attentive listener.
- attentive service
- The hotel is known for its attentive service.
- remain attentive
- It is hard to remain attentive after a long day.
- attentive audience
- The speaker had a quiet, attentive audience.
Synonyms and how they differ
- observant
- Observant means good at noticing things, while attentive means choosing to pay attention at a given moment.
- considerate
- Considerate focuses on kindness toward others, while attentive adds paying close notice of what they need.
- alert
- Alert suggests readiness to react quickly, often to danger.
- heedful
- Heedful is old-fashioned and stresses careful obedience or caution.
Opposites
Word family
- attention noun
- the act of focusing your mind
- attentively adverb
- in a careful, focused way
- attentiveness noun
- the quality of paying attention
- inattentive adjective
- not paying attention
Commonly confused: attentive or attendant?
attentive vs attendant
An attendant is a person who serves or helps, while attentive describes someone's focused manner.
Practice
The staff at the small hotel were very ___ to our needs, even bringing extra blankets without being asked.
Choose one answer.
Attentive to something means careful about it. Inattentive is the opposite, and attendant is a noun for a worker.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “attentive”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.