considerate

Meaning

1. 1adjectivecomparableapproving

   Paying attention to the feelings, comfort, and needs of other people and taking care not to bother them.

   Grammar: Can come before a noun or after be; often followed by of: it was considerate of you to call.

   Patterns

   • considerate of someone
   • considerate towards someone
   • it is considerate of someone to do something

   It was considerate of him to turn the music down after ten o'clock.

   She is a considerate host who always asks if guests are comfortable.

   Be considerate when you share a small office with others.

Word forms

Common combinations

considerate of others

Drivers should be considerate of others on a narrow road.

a considerate neighbor

Our considerate neighbor warned us before the party.

thoughtful and considerate

The nurse was thoughtful and considerate throughout my stay.

considerate behavior

Considerate behavior in public libraries means keeping your voice low.

very considerate of you

That was very considerate of you to save me a seat.

Synonyms and how they differ

thoughtful

Thoughtful is broader, and can also mean absorbed in thought, while considerate focuses on not troubling others.

kind

Kind covers any generous act, but considerate is specifically about noticing other people's needs and comfort.

tactful

Tactful is about saying or doing things without causing offense, a narrower skill than being considerate in general.

courteous

Courteous stresses polite manners, whereas considerate suggests real attention to how others feel.

Opposites

Word family

consider verb

to think about carefully

consideration noun

care for others, or careful thought

considerately adverb

in a way that respects others

inconsiderate adjective

not caring about other people's feelings

Commonly confused: considerate or considerable?

Practice

Make it your own

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

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