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

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

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

An experiment in Englewood on the city’s South Side, where population was dropping, sought to create an attractive new neighborhood high school while closing four small ones. —Mila Koumpilova, ProPublica, 9 Sep. 2025

Abandoning diversity, equity, and inclusion makes companies more vulnerable to civil rights litigation, less attractive to emerging talent, and more disconnected from today’s consumer base. —Essence, 9 Sep. 2025

The good news is that Tuesday's updates certainly keep the Apple product line fresh and attractive, providing the time needed to nail down that AI strategy. —Zev Fima, CNBC, 9 Sep. 2025

Or could Belly explore a connection with the attractive Parisian Benito? —Monica Mercuri, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025

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