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

• alluring
• appealing
• bewitching
• captivating
• charismatic
• charming
• elfin
• enchanting
• engaging
• entrancing
• fascinating
• fetching
• glamorous
• glamourous
• luring
• magnetic
• seductive

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

Robert, who turns 28 on Aug. 3, is somewhat more attractive, a plus defender in center who has stolen 21 bases in 26 attempts. —Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 20 June 2025

Grocery stores operate on the thinnest of margins and chic or attractive has nothing to do with marketing commodities like eggs and bread. —Greg Petro, Forbes.com, 19 June 2025

The combination of those things lends itself toward a more attractive brand of basketball. —Danyel Smith, Rolling Stone, 18 June 2025

Diane is highly attractive to her clients, both as an advocate of the natural, self-sustaining and trendy gardening practice known as permaculture and as an object of physical desire. —Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 17 June 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