attention

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English Vietnamese dictionary

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Advanced English dictionary

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noun, exclamation
+ noun
listening / looking carefully
1 [U] the act of listening to, looking at or thinking about sth/sb carefully: the report's attention to detail + He turned his attention back to the road again. + Small children have a very short attention span. + Please pay attention (= listen carefully) to what I am saying. + Don't pay any attention to what they say (= don't think that it is important). + She tried to attract the waiter's attention. + I tried not to draw attention to (= make people notice) the weak points in my argument. + An article in the newspaper caught my attention. + I couldn't give the programme my undivided attention. + (formal) It has come to my attention (= I have been informed) that ... + (formal) He called (their) attention to the fact that many files were missing. + (formal, spoken) Can I have your attention please?
interest
2 [U] interest that people show in sb/sth: Films with big stars always attract great attention. + As the youngest child, she was always the centre of attention.
3 [C, usually pl.] things that sb does to try to please you or to show their interest in you: She tried to escape the unwanted attentions of her former boyfriend.
treatment
4 [U] special care, action or treatment: She was in need of medical attention. + The roof needs attention (= needs to be repaired). + for the attention of ... (= written on the envelope of an official letter to say who should deal with it)
soldiers
5 [U] the position soldiers take when they stand very straight with their feet together and their arms at their sides: to stand at / to attention
Compare: (stand) at ease at EASE n.
+ exclamation
1 used for asking people to listen to sth that is being announced: Attention, please! Passengers for flight KL412 are requested to go to gate 21 immediately.
2 used for ordering soldiers to stand to attention

Thesaurus dictionary

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n.

1 heed, regard, notice; concentration:

Please give your attention to the teacher. Pay attention! Don't let your attention wander.

2 publicity, notice, distinction, acclaim, prominence, réclame, notoriety; limelight:

She seems to have been getting a lot of attention lately.

Collocation dictionary

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¹ act of watching/listening/showing interest

ADJ.

full, rapt, undivided

They listened with rapt attention.

| assiduous, careful, close, meticulous, scrupulous | scant

Policy-makers paid scant attention to the wider issues.

| urgent | special | unwanted, unwelcome | international, media, public

VERB + ATTENTION

devote, direct, give (sb/sth), pay, turn

How many times do I have to ask you to pay attention? He had a cup of tea and then turned his attention to the report.

| get, have, receive

Can I have your attention, please? These poems have received a lot of critical attention.

| attract, call, capture, catch, command, compel, draw, excite, grab

I tried to attract the waiter's attention. Wherever he goes, he commands attention. She doesn't like to draw attention to her illness.

| deflect, distract, divert, draw

The government is trying to divert attention away from the economy.

| hold, keep, rivet

There was something in the way he spoke that riveted her attention.

| concentrate, confine, focus

In this chapter we shall confine our attention to non-renewable energy sources.

| refocus, transfer

The firm decided to refocus its attention back onto its traditional strengths and expertise.

| deserve, need, require

a matter requiring urgent attention

| jostle for, vie for

dozens of concerns jostling for your attention She was surrounded by men all vying for her attention.

| repay

an interesting essay that repays close attention

| bring sth to

My boss was grateful that I had brought the matter to his attention.

| come to | avoid, escape

Her primary aim was to avoid the attentions of the newspapers.

ATTENTION + VERB

focus

Media attention focused today on the prince's business affairs.

| wander

I felt my attention wandering during the lecture.

ATTENTION + NOUN

span

PREP.

for sb's ~, for the ~ of

a letter for the attention of your doctor

PHRASES

attention to detail

He is a designer known for his meticulous attention to detail.

| care and attention

He was convicted of driving without due care and attention.

| the centre of attention

Some children love being the centre of attention.

| the focus of attention

The focus of attention must now be how to improve the economy.

| force your attentions on sb

A man like Luke had no need to force his attentions on unwilling women.

| not pay much attention to sth, pay little/no attention to sth

(= not take something very seriously)Pay no attention to what Bill said?he's a complete liar!

² care

ADJ.

constant | individual, personal, special

The child needs special attention.

| medical

VERB + ATTENTION

devote, give, lavish

He devoted all his attention to his mother. She lavishes attention on those silly little dogs.

| be in need of, need, require, want

a patient requiring attention

Concise English dictionary

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attentionsə'tenʃn
noun
+the process whereby a person concentrates on some features of the environment to the (relative) exclusion of others
+the work of providing treatment for or attending to someone or something
+a general interest that leads people to want to know more
+a courteous act indicating affection
+the faculty or power of mental concentration
+a motionless erect stance with arms at the sides and feet together; assumed by military personnel during drill or review