Receptively
What it means
With willingness to listen, consider, or accept.
Reach for it when describing attentive, nondefensive openness to another person's ideas or feelings
The coach listened receptively to feedback from new players.
Words to choose between 8
| everyday | |
|---|---|
| warm | |
| professional |
|
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everyday
Fits when lack of concealment or resistance is central
Careful Openly can describe expression rather than listening.
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everyday
without defensiveness
Fits when calm acceptance of feedback is the exact strength
Careful This phrase describes restraint more than active receptivity.
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warm
considerately
Fits when respectful regard shapes the response
Careful Consideration can remain polite without genuine openness.
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warm
Fits when caring understanding of difficulty is intended
Careful Sympathy may agree emotionally without considering the idea fairly.
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warm
with curiosity
Fits when questions and exploration show openness
Careful Curiosity can become intrusive and does not ensure respect.
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professional
attentively
Fits when sustained focus on the speaker matters
Careful Attention does not prove willingness to consider the message.
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professional
Fits when willingness to revise a view is central
Careful Open-mindedly sounds awkward in intimate or elegant prose.
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professional
responsively
Fits when the listener answers the need or signal
Careful A response can be quick without being open-minded.
Opposites 3
- defensively
- dismissively
- resistantly
Common phrases 3
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listen receptively
The chair chose to listen receptively before explaining the constraint.
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respond receptively
She responded receptively to the apprentice's proposed change.
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engage receptively
Both groups agreed to engage receptively with the independent findings.
Word family 2
Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Updated