attend
gb/ətˈɛnd/ us/ətˈɛnd/
A2
English
~ 1200
Senses
0 senses
Verb
A2
action
1
Be present at an event
To go to and be at an event, meeting, or class.
Usage pattern:
to attend [an event/place]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'attend' with 'attend to', which has a different meaning.
Synonyms
participate (Implies active involvement, whereas 'attend' can mean just being present.)
Antonyms
miss (Means to not be present at an event.)
Collocations
attend a meeting
|attend a class
|attend a conference
|attend a wedding
|attend school
Themes
daily life
|education
|business
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Over 200 people attended the conference last year.
- She attends yoga classes twice a week.
- I can't attend the meeting because of a prior engagement.
- They attended the concert together.
- Many parents attended the school open day.
Learner examples
- I attend English class every Monday.
- She will attend the party tonight.
- We attend the same school.
- He attended a wedding last weekend.
Verb
B1
action
2
Give attention or care to
To look after or help someone or something.
Usage pattern:
to attend to [someone/something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes drop 'to' in 'attend to', which changes the meaning to 'be present at'.
Synonyms
tend (Often used for looking after people or plants; more informal in some contexts.)
Antonyms
ignore (Means to deliberately not give attention to something.)
Collocations
attend to details
|attend to customers
|attend to needs
Themes
daily life
|work
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The nurse attended to the patient immediately.
- Please attend to this matter as soon as possible.
- She attended to her guests with great care.
- I must attend to some urgent business.
- He attended to the broken machine.
Learner examples
- The doctor attended to the sick child.
- I will attend to your problem soon.
- She attended to the old man.
- We must attend to the garden.
Verb
formal
C1
action
3
Accompany as duty or service
To go with and help someone because it is your job.
Usage pattern:
to attend [someone]
Synonyms
escort (More common in security or formal contexts; emphasizes guiding or protecting.)
Collocations
attend the king
|attend dignitaries
Themes
work
|service
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Two assistants attended the ambassador during his visit.
- The servants attended their master faithfully.
- An aide attended the president throughout the ceremony.
Learner examples
- A nurse attended the old woman.
- Guards attended the queen.
- He attended the famous actor during the trip.
Grammar
Dictionary form
attend
IPA
GB/ətˈɛnd/
US/ətˈɛnd/
Syllables & stress
at - tend (2 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (tend)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: attend
- 3rd Person Singular: attends
- Present Participle: attending
- Past: attended
Word family
Forms
attends
verb
attending
verb
attended
verb
Core family
Related words
attendee
noun
attendant
noun B1
Negative and opposite forms
inattentive
adjective
inattention
noun
unattended
adjective
Advanced or less common
attentiveness
noun
Expressions
attend a meeting
1/ətˈɛnd ə mˈitɪŋ/
fixed phrase
Be present at a meeting
To go to and be part of a meeting.
Examples
- I will attend a meeting with my boss this afternoon.
- Representatives from all departments attended the meeting.
attend school
1/ətˈɛnd skˈul/
fixed phrase
Go regularly to school as a student
To be a student at a school and go there regularly.
Examples
- All children must attend school until they are 16.
- She attends a local high school.
attend to
1/ətˈɛnd tə/
phrasal verb
Deal with or give attention to
To deal with or help someone or something that needs you.
Examples
- I have some emails to attend to before lunch.
- The staff quickly attended to the injured player.