INDEX:
1. to listen and watch carefully
2. to pay particular attention to a subject or person
3. to pay so much attention to something that you do not notice other things
4. not paying attention to what is happening
5. not paying attention to a particular subject or person
6. to make someone pay attention to you
7. to make people pay attention to a subject or problem
8. when someone or something gets a lot of attention
9. to avoid attention or take attention away
RELATED WORDS
see also
↑ NOTICE/NOT NOTICE
↑ FAMOUS
↑ INTERESTED
↑ IGNORE
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1. to listen and watch carefully
▷ pay attention /ˌpeɪ əˈtenʃ ə n/ [verb phrase]
to listen to and watch carefully what you are doing, what is happening, or what someone is saying :
▪ Judith never pays attention in class.
pay attention to
▪ The TV was on, but Jamal wasn’t really paying attention to it.
pay somebody/something attention
▪ I often find myself nodding and smiling at my children without really paying them much attention.
pay close/careful attention
▪ Lawyers around the country were paying close attention to the trial.
▷ concentrate /ˈkɒns ə ntreɪtǁˈkɑːn-/ [intransitive verb]
to think very carefully about something that you are doing, without being interrupted :
▪ I tried to read a few pages, but I found it hard to concentrate.
concentrate on
▪ There were so many people talking that I couldn’t concentrate on the music.
▪ Sherman sat hunched forward and staring through the windshield, trying to concentrate on the traffic.
▷ concentration /ˌkɒns ə nˈtreɪʃ ə nǁˌkɑːn-/ [uncountable noun]
your ability to think carefully about what you are doing without being interrupted :
▪ His face was solemn with concentration.
concentration on
▪ Plummer said she plans to continue her concentration on the 3,000 meter race.
▷ keep your mind on /ˌkiːp jɔːʳ ˈmaɪnd ɒn/ [verb phrase]
to continue to pay attention to something especially when you are very excited or worried about something else :
▪ Just keep your mind on the driving -- I’ll figure out where we are.
▪ Bill couldn’t keep his mind on anything but the verdict.
▷ keep your eyes on /ˌkiːp jɔːr ˈaɪz ɒn/ [verb phrase]
to keep watching something carefully, so that you do not make any mistakes :
▪ We had to keep our eyes on the sandy path to avoid the roots and rocks in the way.
▪ Keep your eyes on the ball -- now swing!
▷ take notice/note /ˌteɪk ˈnəʊtə̇s, ˈnəʊt/ [verb phrase]
to pay attention to and think about something, often allowing it to affect a decision - used especially in writing :
▪ There is a lot of criticism of the new law and a number of politicians are beginning to take notice.
take notice/note of
▪ No one took notice of me until I pulled out my notebook and started writing.
▪ The organization began to take note of its public image.
sit up and take note/notice
▪ As usual, Greenspan’s announcement made the financial world sit up and take notice.
▷ attentive /əˈtentɪv/ [adjective]
someone who is attentive pays careful attention to someone that they are listening to, watching or looking after :
▪ Hecke’s new work has something of interest for both the casual and attentive viewer.
attentive to
▪ The crew were extremely attentive to the passengers’ safety.
▷ attention span /əˈtenʃ ə n spæn/ [uncountable noun]
the amount of time that you are able to carefully listen or watch something that is happening without getting tired or bored :
have a short/limited attention span
▪ Kids of his age typically have a very short attention span.
2. to pay particular attention to a subject or person
▷ pay attention to /ˌpeɪ əˈtenʃ ə n tuː/ [verb phrase]
▪ The government never pays any attention to pre-school education.
pay special/particular attention to something
▪ The investigators at the crash site are paying particular attention to the weather data.
pay more attention to something
▪ Previously the company payed much more attention to its investors than it did to its customers.
not pay enough attention to something
▪ Not enough attention is paid to the role of diet in illnesses such as cancer and heart disease.
▷ concentrate/focus on /ˈkɒns ə ntreɪt, ˈfəʊkəs ɒn/ [verb phrase]
to spend your time considering a particular subject, group etc, especially because you think it is more important than others :
▪ Concentrate on the content of your report. You can worry about its format or appearance when you’ve finished writing.
▪ The conference will focus on the issue of population control.
▷ turn your attention to /ˌtɜːʳn jɔːr əˈtenʃ ə n tuː/ [verb phrase]
to begin to pay attention to someone or something different or new - used especially in written and formal contexts :
▪ Amelia next turned her attention to finding herself a place to live.
▪ Having dealt with the problem of energy sources, let’s now turn our attention to the question of nuclear power.
▷ give something/somebody your undivided attention /gɪv something/somebody jɔːr ʌndɪˌvaɪdə̇d əˈtenʃ ə n/ [verb phrase]
to give all your attention to something or someone and not do anything else at the same time :
▪ I worry about how Quincy’s going to do in school - he can’t sit still long enough to give anything his undivided attention.
give your undivided attention to something
▪ Once I had finished my exams, I could give my undivided attention to looking for a job.
3. to pay so much attention to something that you do not notice other things
▷ be engrossed in /biː ɪnˈgrəʊst ɪn/ [verb phrase]
to be paying so much attention to something you are doing, that you do not notice what is happening around you :
▪ Helen was sitting up in bed, engrossed in a novel.
▪ The two women huddled together like schoolgirls, happily engrossed in their conversation.
▪ He was so engrossed in what he was doing he didn’t even hear the doorbell ring.
▷ be wrapped up in /biː ˌræpt ˈʌp ɪn/ [verb phrase]
to be so involved in something that you do not notice or seem to care about other things :
▪ Hazel’s totally wrapped up in the new baby.
▪ ‘Some novelists get wrapped up in their celebrity status,’ he acknowledged. ‘I hope that doesn’t happen to me.’
▷ be absorbed in /biː əbˈsɔːʳbd ɪn/ [verb phrase]
to pay a lot of attention to something, especially when you are reading or watching something you enjoy and want to know what happens next :
▪ I was so absorbed in the game on TV that I didn’t hear Alexis come in.
▪ The little boy sat at the edge of the pond, totally absorbed in watching the fish.
▷ immerse yourself in /ɪˈmɜːʳs jɔːʳself ɪn/ [verb phrase]
give all your attention to something such as studying or work so that you do not want to think about anything else :
▪ He immersed himself in his work and tried to forget about Julia.
▪ For the first time, I had the chance to really immerse myself in Lenin’s writings.
be immersed in something
▪ The possibility of computer addiction occurred to her when she missed a class she was teaching, because she was immersed in the Internet.
▷ preoccupied /priːˈɒkjɑpaɪdǁ-ˈɑːk-/ [adjective not before noun]
someone who is preoccupied is worried or thinking about other things, and tends to forget about someone or something else :
▪ Parents are often too busy, tired, or preoccupied to give their children the time and attention they need.
preoccupied with
▪ Most Russians are preoccupied with matters close to home, their economic conditions in particular.
4. not paying attention to what is happening
▷ not pay attention /nɒt ˌpeɪ əˈtenʃ ə n/ [verb phrase]
▪ What did the announcers just say? I wasn’t paying attention.
not pay attention to
▪ When you’re young, you don’t pay attention to what your parents are saying half the time.
▷ daydream /ˈdeɪdriːm/ [intransitive verb]
to not pay attention because you are thinking about pleasant things or imagining things that you would like to happen :
▪ Blackthorne was sitting alone in a corner of the garden, daydreaming.
daydream about
▪ Almost anyone who has ever read a good book has daydreamed about writing his or her own best-seller.
▷ switch off /ˌswɪtʃ ˈɒf/ [intransitive phrasal verb] British informal
to stop paying attention to something because you are bored, or to stop thinking about your work after you have finished in the evening and relax :
▪ In the end I got sick of the conversation and switched off.
▪ It’s difficult for teachers to switch off when they go home at night.
▷ be miles away /biː ˈmaɪlz əˌweɪ/ [verb phrase] British spoken
to not be paying attention to anything or anyone around you and seem to be thinking about something very different :
▪ Sorry, I was miles away. What did you say?
▪ I don’t mean to disturb you, you looked miles away -- but there’s a call for you.
▷ your mind wanders /jɔːʳ ˌmaɪnd ˈwɒndəʳzǁ-ˈwɑːn-/
if your mind wanders you are no longer paying attention, usually because you are bored or because something is worrying you :
▪ I tried hard to concentrate, but my mind kept wandering.
your mind wanders to/from
▪ His mind wandered to the things he was trying not to think about.
let your mind wander
▪ Corrinne let her mind wander back to the days when they first met.
▷ inattentive /ˌɪnəˈtentɪv◂/ [adjective]
someone who is inattentive does not pay attention to something when they are expected to :
▪ Roger was hyperactive and inattentive as a child.
▪ In spite of the inattentive servers and the bad decor, it’s worth eating at Leon’s for the great cheap food.
inattentive to
▪ The government is still being accused of being inattentive to the plight of the Health Service.
▷ lose (your) concentration /ˌluːz (jɔːʳ) ˌkɒns ə nˈtreɪʃ ə nǁ-ˌkɑːn-/ [verb phrase]
if you lose your concentration, you stop being able to think carefully about what you are doing, for example because you are suddenly interrupted :
▪ Sensing that the team was losing their concentration, Barret called a time out.
▪ With too much homework, children may lose concentration and stop progressing.
5. not paying attention to a particular subject or person
▷ not pay attention /nɒt ˌpeɪ əˈtenʃ ə n/ [verb phrase]
▪ Don’t pay attention to anything they say - they’re just trying to get money out of you.
▪ More than half the people in the study said they do not pay attention to election campaigns.
▪ A high-level military official warned people not to pay attention to rumours about invasion.
▷ take no notice/not take any notice /ˌteɪk nəʊ ˈnəʊtə̇s, nɒt ˌteɪk eni ˈnəʊtə̇s/ [verb phrase]
to not pay attention to something - used especially in writing :
▪ The conflict continued in the small African state, but the world took no notice.
▪ My parents didn’t seem to take any notice of my wails as we drove down the motorway.
6. to make someone pay attention to you
▷ get/attract attention /ˌget, əˌtrækt əˈtenʃ ə n/ [verb phrase]
to try to make someone notice you, by doing something that they will notice :
▪ Young children sometimes behave badly simply in order to get attention.
▪ With all the competition, a website really has to give away something good to get people’s attention.
get/attract somebody’s attention
▪ He was waving his hand wildly, trying to attract Kovitsky’s attention.
▷ draw attention to yourself /ˌdrɔː əˈtenʃ ə n tə jɔːʳself/ [verb phrase]
to make people notice you - used especially when you are trying to avoid doing this, or you think someone should try to avoid doing this :
▪ I did a few of the usual idiotic things as a teenager to try to draw attention to myself.
▪ Carney knew he would draw attention to himself if he rented a boat in the middle of winter.
7. to make people pay attention to a subject or problem
▷ draw/call attention to /ˌdrɔː, ˌkɔːl əˈtenʃ ə n tuː/ [verb phrase]
▪ The group is willing to use terrorism in order to draw attention to their desire for independence.
▪ Fox was one of the first US scientists to call attention to the rising levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
▷ highlight /ˈhaɪlaɪt/ [transitive verb]
to show that something is important and make people notice it, especially so that they start to do something about it :
▪ The report highlighted the need for prison reform.
▪ The Association’s first project was to publish a 35-cent brochure highlighting nine historic sites.
▷ focus attention on /ˌfəʊkəs əˈtenʃ ə n ɒn/ [verb phrase]
to make a large group of people, especially the public, pay attention to one particular problem or bad situation because it needs their help :
▪ The publicity campaign helped to focus attention on the needs of elderly people in the community.
focus somebody’s attention on
▪ The media’s efforts often focus public attention on government incompetence, forcing government to do the right thing.
▷ bring something to somebody’s attention /ˌbrɪŋ something tə somebodyˈs əˈtenʃ ə n/ [verb phrase]
to inform someone in a position of power or authority about a problem, bad situation etc so that they can do something to help or stop it :
▪ It was one of the other students who brought your misbehaviour to my attention.
▪ The reviews provide a way for companies to bring their trade concerns to the attention of the government.
▷ point out /ˌpɔɪnt ˈaʊt/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to tell someone about a mistake they have made, something they have forgotten etc :
▪ He pointed out the danger of a mountain trek at this time of year.
point out that
▪ I pointed out that changing the date would mean rescheduling the press conference.
point something/it out
▪ I didn’t realise I’d made a mistake. Thank you for pointing it out.
as somebody points out
▪ As Palermo pointed out, Peruvian university students tend to be highly political.
8. when someone or something gets a lot of attention
▷ get/attract/receive attention /ˌget, əˌtrækt, rɪˌsiːv əˈtenʃ ə n/ [verb phrase]
▪ The young Senator is getting a lot of attention.
▪ The film has attracted considerable attention since it was released last week.
▷ be the centre of attention British /be the center of attention American /biː ðə ˌsentər əv əˈtenʃ ə n/ [verb phrase]
if someone or something is the centre of attention everyone is very interested in them and gives them a lot of attention :
▪ I loved talking and being the centre of attention, so I was chosen to be spokesperson.
▪ Eliot argued that it should be the poetry, not the poet’s personality, that is the center of attention.
▷ be the focus of attention /biː ðə ˌfəʊkəs əv əˈtenʃ ə n/ [verb phrase]
if someone or something, often a bad situation, is the focus of attention, everyone is paying it a lot of attention :
▪ The earthquake has made skyscrapers the focus of attention.
▪ The Airline became the focus of attention yesterday after its stock fell dramatically to 31 cents.
▪ Suddenly Carmichael, the shy lead singer, was the focus of millions of young girls’ attention.
▷ attention /əˈtenʃ ə n/ [uncountable noun]
the interest that people show in someone or something :
▪ Jerry loves the attention he gets when he’s performing
media attention
attention from newspapers, television etc
▪ The intense media attention surrounding the case, has made it very difficult for the family to cope.
9. to avoid attention or take attention away
▷ not draw attention /nɒt ˌdrɔː əˈtenʃ ə n/ [verb phrase]
to make a special effort to be normal, inoffensive, or quiet, so that people will not pay attention to you :
not draw attention to
▪ It was obvious that Jackson didn’t want to draw attention to himself.
without drawing attention
▪ The city’s wealth allows drug traffickers to live a comfortable lifestyle without drawing attention to themselves.
avoid drawing attention
▪ Aides to the Prime Minister tried to avoid drawing public attention to the speech.
▷ draw attention away from /ˌdrɔː əˌtenʃ ə n əˈweɪ frɒm/ [verb phrase]
to make someone pay attention to one thing or person, either deliberately or without intending to, so that they do not pay attention to another :
▪ The government was hoping to draw attention away from the current economic crisis.
▪ His ‘bad-boy’ behaviour tends to draw attention away from many of the good things he is doing in his community.
▷ divert/distract attention /daɪˌvɜːʳt, dɪˌstrækt əˈtenʃ ə n/ [verb phrase]
to make someone stop paying attention to something important, either deliberately or without intending to :
▪ The debate is diverting attention from the urgent need to improve the way the medical system cares for terminally ill patients.
divert/distract attention from
▪ The bomb could have been planted in order to distract attention from the robbery.
distract/divert somebody’s attention
▪ Before we could explore the matter further, some new evidence diverted our attention.
▷ put somebody off /ˌpʊt somebody ˈɒf/ [transitive phrasal verb] British informal
to make someone stop paying attention to what they are doing, especially so that they make a mistake :
▪ Stop staring at me, it’s putting me off.
put somebody off their game/stroke
▪ All the noise from the crowd put Alison off her game.
▷ keep a low profile /ˌkiːp ə ˌləʊ ˈprəʊfaɪl/ [verb phrase]
to try not to make anyone notice you for a period of time, for example because you have done something bad :
▪ She’s keeping a low profile until the scandal is forgotten.
▪ Many of the exiles have married, taken jobs, and generally kept a low profile.