attentive
/əˈtentɪv/ (bre, ipa) · /əˈtentɪv/ (ame, ipa) · /ə-ˈten-tiv/ (ame, mw)
attentive — adjective
1. watching, listening to, or focusing on someone or something with full concentrat
watching, listening to, or focusing on someone or something with full concentration, so that you notice details and do not miss anything important.
Mrs. Liu's students stayed quiet and attentive throughout the science demonstration.
predicative use after linking verb 'stayed'
Mei is an attentive reader who underlines every unfamiliar word in her novels.
attributive use modifying a noun
Be attentive to the road signs once you pass the bridge into the old town.
The judges watched each gymnast with attentive eyes and quick pencils.
Una kept an attentive watch over her younger brother near the swimming pool.
- distracted
attention pulled away by something else
- inattentive
direct opposite, formal
文法句型
attentive to + noun
用法筆記
Often followed by 'to' when naming what is being focused on (attentive to detail, to safety, to the speaker). Distinguish from sense 2: this sense is about mental focus, not about looking after someone's needs.
常見錯誤
2. kind and helpful toward another person, noticing what they want or need and quic
kind and helpful toward another person, noticing what they want or need and quickly doing things to make them comfortable.
The waiter at Hoshino Diner was warm and attentive without ever feeling pushy.
typical of staff in service contexts
Kalani became a more attentive husband after the twins were born.
common with family roles: husband, mother, father
The nurses were attentive to every small request from the elderly patients.
Aunt Rosa is the most attentive host I have ever stayed with.
Coach Tova stays attentive to each player's mood before a big match.
- considerate
thinks about others' feelings; less about active service
- thoughtful
neutral, often about small kind acts
- solicitous
formal; sometimes suggests over-eagerness
- neglectful
fails to look after someone's needs
- indifferent
shows no care or interest
文法句型
attentive to + noun
用法筆記
Subject is usually a person in a service or caring role (waiter, nurse, host, partner, parent). Distinguish from sense 1: this sense involves caring action, not just mental focus. The two senses share the 'attentive to + noun' pattern, but here the noun is a person or their needs.