adj ·Common ·High school level

Definitions

Adjective

1. 1
   Paying attention; noticing, watching, listening, or attending closely.

   "She is an attentive listener, but does not like to talk much."

2. 2
   Courteous; mindful.

   "a husband attentive to his wife’s needs"

Adjective

1. 1
   (often followed by ‘to’) giving care or attention wordnet
2. 2
   taking heed; giving close and thoughtful attention wordnet

Synonyms

All synonyms

heedfulobservantadvertentaliveawakecareful

Antonyms

All antonyms

cavaliercloth-earedinattentivenonchalant

Example

More examples

"They were most attentive to his speech."

Etymology

From Middle English attentif, attentijf, from Old French attentif.

Related phrases

attentive public

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.