PAYING ATTENTION

Pronunciation (US):

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IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does paying attention mean? 

• PAYING ATTENTION (noun)
  The noun PAYING ATTENTION has 1 sense:

1. paying particular notice (as to children or helpless people)

  Familiarity information: PAYING ATTENTION used as a noun is very rare.

• PAYING ATTENTION (adjective)
  The adjective PAYING ATTENTION has 1 sense:

1. taking heed; giving close and thoughtful attention

  Familiarity information: PAYING ATTENTION used as an adjective is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• PAYING ATTENTION (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Paying particular notice (as to children or helpless people)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Synonyms:

attentiveness; heed; paying attention; regard

Context example:

he spends without heed to the consequences

Hypernyms ("paying attention" is a kind of...):

attending; attention (the process whereby a person concentrates on some features of the environment to the (relative) exclusion of others)

Attribute:

heedless; unheeding (marked by or paying little heed or attention)

attentive; heedful; paying attention; thoughtful (taking heed; giving close and thoughtful attention)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "paying attention"):

advertence; advertency (the process of being heedful)

• PAYING ATTENTION (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Taking heed; giving close and thoughtful attention

Synonyms:

attentive; heedful; paying attention; thoughtful

Context example:

heedful of what they were doing

Attribute:

attentiveness; heed; paying attention; regard (paying particular notice (as to children or helpless people))

 Context examples 

You might have trouble sleeping, eating, or paying attention.

(Coping with Disasters, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

People with learning disorders may have problems: • Listening or paying attention • Speaking • Reading or writing • Doing math

(Learning Disorders, NIH: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)

They are used to treat depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (a disorder in which a person has problems paying attention, controlling actions, and remaining still or quiet), and narcolepsy (a sleep disorder).

(Central nervous system stimulant, NCI Dictionary)