Standard Lemma guide

attentive

adj · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • General-American, Received-Pronunciation: /əˈtɛntɪv/
  • General-American, Received-Pronunciation: [əˈthɛnthɪv]
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • US, pin-pen-merger: /əˈtɪntɪv/
  • US, pin-pen-merger: [əˈthɪ̟nthɪv]
  • Australian: /əˈtentɪv/
  • Australian: [əˈthenthɪv] ~ [-the̞nth-]
  • New-Zealand: /əˈtentəv/
  • New-Zealand: [əˈthe̝nthəv] ~ [-thɪnth-]
  • CMU ARPABET: AH0 T EH1 N T IH0 V Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

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

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

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

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Courteous; mindful.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • a husband attentive to his wife’s needs

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adjective

Meaning 3

(often followed by `to') giving care or attention

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • attentive to details
  • the nurse was attentive to her patient
  • an attentive suitor

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: inattentive

4

adjective

Meaning 4

taking heed; giving close and thoughtful attention

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • heedful of the warnings
  • so heedful a writer
  • heedful of what they were doing

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: heedful, thoughtful, paying attention

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

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

Across languages

Translations

70 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Afrikaans: aandagtig — paying attention
  • Arabic: مُنْتَبِه (muntabih) — paying attention
  • Belarusian: ува́жлівы (uvážlivy) — paying attention
  • Bulgarian: внима́телен (vnimátelen) — paying attention
  • Catalan: atent — paying attention
  • Chinese Mandarin: 注意的 (zhùyì de) — paying attention
  • Chinese Mandarin: 細心的 /细心的 (xìxīn de) — paying attention
  • Czech: pozorný — paying attention
  • Czech: věnující pozornost — paying attention
  • Czech: všímavý — paying attention
  • Danish: opmærksom — paying attention
  • Dutch: aandachtig — paying attention
  • Dutch: oplettend — paying attention
  • Esperanto: atenta — paying attention
  • Finnish: tarkkaavainen — paying attention
  • Finnish: valpas — paying attention
  • French: attentif — paying attention
  • German: aufmerksam — paying attention
  • Greek: προσεκτικός (prosektikós) — paying attention
  • Ancient Greek: ἐπιμελής (epimelḗs) — paying attention
  • Hindi: सचेत (sacet) — paying attention
  • Hindi: चौकस (caukas) — paying attention
  • Hungarian: figyelmes — paying attention
  • Ido: detalema — paying attention
  • Ingrian: vilkas — paying attention
  • Irish: aireach — paying attention
  • Italian: attento — paying attention
  • Japanese: 注意深い (chūibukai) — paying attention
  • Korean: 조심의 (josimui) — paying attention
  • Korean: 세심하다 (sesimhada) — paying attention
  • Central Kurdish: وریا (wirya) — paying attention
  • Latin: attentus — paying attention
  • Latin: intentus — paying attention
  • Latvian: uzmanīgs — paying attention
  • Latvian: rūpīgs — paying attention
  • Macedonian: внимателен (vnimatelen) — paying attention
  • Māori: puakaha — paying attention
  • Māori: rahirahi — paying attention
  • Māori: pīkari — paying attention
  • Norwegian Bokmål: oppmerksom — paying attention
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: oppmerksam — paying attention
  • Polish: baczny — paying attention
  • Polish: uważny — paying attention
  • Portuguese: atencioso — paying attention
  • Portuguese: atento — paying attention
  • Romanian: atent — paying attention
  • Russian: внима́тельный (vnimátelʹnyj) — paying attention
  • Sanskrit: प्रबुध् (prabudh) — paying attention
  • Scottish Gaelic: cùramach — paying attention
  • Serbo-Croatian: па̀жљив — paying attention
  • Serbo-Croatian: pàžljiv — paying attention
  • Slovak: pozorný — paying attention
  • Slovene: pozoren — paying attention
  • Spanish: atento — paying attention
  • Spanish: solícito — paying attention
  • Swedish: uppmärksam — paying attention
  • Thai: เอาใจใส่ (ao-jai-sài) — paying attention
  • Thai: ใส่ใจ (sài-jai) — paying attention
  • Thai: ตั้งใจ (dtâng-jai) — paying attention
  • Thai: ใจจดใจจ่อ (jai-jòt-jai-jɔ̀ɔ) — paying attention
  • Ukrainian: ува́жний (uvážnyj) — paying attention
  • Ukrainian: ува́жливий (uvážlyvyj) — paying attention
  • Welsh: astud — paying attention
  • Welsh: sylwgar — paying attention
  • Czech: dbalý — mindful
  • Czech: dbající — mindful
  • Dutch: attent — mindful
  • Esperanto: atentema — mindful
  • Finnish: huomaavainen — mindful
  • Thai: เอาใจใส่ (ao-jai-sài) — mindful