attractive

adjective

at·​trac·​tive ə-ˈtrak-tiv How to pronounce attractive (audio)
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

Example Sentences

An attractive woman greeted us at the door. The camera has many attractive features at a very attractive price.
Recent Examples on the Web Searching for answers, education officials crossed the state last year and heard that easy access to jobs, coupled with student debt worries, made college less attractive. Collin Binkley, Anchorage Daily News, 9 Mar. 2023 Searching for answers, education officials crossed the state last year and heard that easy access to jobs, coupled with student debt worries, made college less attractive. Collin Binkley, The Christian Science Monitor, 9 Mar. 2023 Fear of not getting repaid on time makes US Treasury securities less attractive as a way to hold foreign reserves, reducing the global demand for dollars. Mary E. Lovely, CNN, 9 Mar. 2023 But honestly, there’s something very attractive to me about new challenges. Lily Moayeri, SPIN, 7 Mar. 2023 Its Folio MagSafe case wallet features slots to keep cards, cash and your iPhone 14 in one slim, attractive package. Rachel Klein, Popular Mechanics, 14 Feb. 2023 Phoenix has the pieces to make a very attractive offer around Deandre Ayton's $30 million salary. Jeremy Cluff, The Arizona Republic, 7 Feb. 2023 While Diamond, as a whole, has been a mess, some individual RSNs are very attractive. Dallas News, 7 Feb. 2023 With the simulator, Studio Casti has been able to combine its two areas of expertise—furniture and product design—into one attractive package. Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 18 Jan. 2023 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'attractive.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Word History

Etymology

see attract

First Known Use

circa 1540, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of attractive was circa 1540

Dictionary Entries Near attractive

Cite this Entry

“Attractive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/attractive. Accessed 20 Mar. 2023.

Kids Definition

attractive

adjective
at·​trac·​tive ə-ˈtrak-tiv How to pronounce attractive (audio)
: having the power or quality of attracting
especially : charming, pleasing
attractively adverb
attractiveness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on attractive

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