Meanings
comparative more attentive · superlative most attentive
- Paying attention; noticing, watching, listening, or attending closely.
She is an attentive listener, but does not like to talk much.
1 more example
King-of-the-Sky was sitting alone in the Leeward Village meeting-house, gesticulating to the attentive shades of night, roaring out the genealogy of his ancestors, telling the sleeping world of his greatness.
1929, Robert Dean Frisbee, The Book of Puka-Puka, republished by Eland, 2019; p. 94
Synonyms & antonyms
adjective(often followed by ‘to’) giving care or attention
adjectivetaking heed; giving close and thoughtful attention
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Old Frenchattentif
- Middle Englishattentif
- Englishattentive
From Middle English attentif, attentijf, from Old French attentif.
More words from Middle English, Old French
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans aandagtig
- aandagtigpaying attention
Ancient Greek ἐπιμελής
- ἐπιμελής (epimelḗs)paying attention
Arabic مُنْتَبِه
- مُنْتَبِه (muntabih)paying attention
Bulgarian внима́телен
- внима́телен (vnimátelen)paying attention
Catalan atent
- atentpaying attention
Chinese Mandarin 注意的, 細心的 /细心的
- 注意的 (zhùyì de)paying attention
- 細心的 /细心的 (xìxīn de)paying attention
Czech pozorný, věnující pozornost
- pozornýpaying attention
- věnující pozornostpaying attention
- všímavýpaying attention
- dbalýmindful
- dbajícímindful
Danish opmærksom
- opmærksompaying attention
Dutch aandachtig, oplettend
- aandachtigpaying attention
- oplettendpaying attention
- attentmindful
Esperanto atenta, atentema
- atentapaying attention
- atentemamindful
Finnish tarkkaavainen, valpas
- tarkkaavainenpaying attention
- valpaspaying attention
- huomaavainenmindful
French attentif
- attentifpaying attention
German aufmerksam
- aufmerksampaying attention
Greek προσεκτικός
- προσεκτικός (prosektikós)paying attention
Hindi सचेत, चौकस
- सचेत (sacet)paying attention
- चौकस (caukas)paying attention
Hungarian figyelmes
- figyelmespaying attention
Irish aireach
- aireachpaying attention
Italian attento
- attentopaying attention
Japanese 注意深い
- 注意深い (chūibukai)paying attention
Korean 조심의, 세심하다
- 조심의 (josimui)paying attention
- 세심하다 (sesimhada)paying attention
Latin attentus, intentus
- attentuspaying attention
- intentuspaying attention
Latvian uzmanīgs, rūpīgs
- uzmanīgspaying attention
- rūpīgspaying attention
Māori puakaha, rahirahi
- puakahapaying attention
- rahirahipaying attention
- pīkaripaying attention
Norwegian Bokmål oppmerksom
- oppmerksompaying attention
Polish baczny, uważny
- bacznypaying attention
- uważnypaying attention
Portuguese atencioso, atento
- atenciosopaying attention
- atentopaying attention
Romanian atent
- atentpaying attention
Russian внима́тельный
- внима́тельный (vnimátelʹnyj)paying attention
Scottish Gaelic cùramach
- cùramachpaying attention
Slovak pozorný
- pozornýpaying attention
Spanish atento, solícito
- atentopaying attention
- solícitopaying attention
Swedish uppmärksam
- uppmärksampaying attention
Thai เอาใจใส่, ใส่ใจ
- เอาใจใส่ (ao-jai-sài)paying attention
- ใส่ใจ (sài-jai)paying attention
- ตั้งใจ (dtâng-jai)paying attention
- ใจจดใจจ่อ (jai-jòt-jai-jɔ̀ɔ)paying attention
- เอาใจใส่ (ao-jai-sài)mindful
Ukrainian ува́жний, ува́жливий
- ува́жний (uvážnyj)paying attention
- ува́жливий (uvážlyvyj)paying attention
Welsh astud, sylwgar
- astudpaying attention
- sylwgarpaying attention
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
attentive. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/attentive
“attentive.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/attentive. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “attentive,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/attentive.
Source: attentive on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.