attractive

adjective

at·​trac·​tive ə-ˈtrak-tiv 

1

a

: arousing interest or pleasure : charming

an attractive smile

b

: appealing

an attractive offer

2

: having or relating to the power to attract

attractive forces between molecules

attractively adverb

attractiveness noun

Synonyms of attractive

• beautiful
• handsome
• cute
• lovely
• gorgeous
• pretty
• charming
• good
• stunning
• elegant

Examples of attractive in a Sentence

An attractive woman greeted us at the door.

The camera has many attractive features at a very attractive price.

Recent Examples on the Web

Perpetual futures let traders speculate on a cryptocurrency’s price, often with leverage, without buying or holding the token itself, making the platform attractive to active traders. — Camila Grigera Naón, Fortune, 21 Aug. 2026

Spiraling monthly cable bills — largely driven by increases in sports rights fees — have made cable TV less attractive to ordinary subscribers. — Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026

Sponsoring one of the Premier League's biggest clubs would have required a considerably larger investment, making Fulham — which finished 11th in the 20-team league last season — a more attractive proposition. — Tom Chitty, CNBC, 21 Aug. 2026

When Treasury yields rise, customers can suddenly earn attractive returns elsewhere. — Mayra Rodriguez Valladares, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English attractif, attractive "drawing out foreign matter from the body, able to ingest nutriments," borrowed from Anglo-French & Late Latin; Anglo-French attractif, attratif, borrowed from Late Latin attractīvus "capable of attracting, drawing toward itself," from Latin attractus, past participle of attrahere "to draw with force, compel to come" + -īvus -ive — more at attract

First Known Use

circa 1540, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for attractive

• contractive
• extractive
• inactive
• proactive
• reactive
• refractive
• subtractive
• active
• tractive
• bioactive
• hyperactive
• interactive

Kids Definition

attractive

adjective

at·​trac·​tive ə-ˈtrak-tiv 

: having the power or quality of attracting

especially : charming, pleasing

attractively adverb

attractiveness noun