diff --git a/changelog.d/1547.change.md b/changelog.d/1547.change.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ae2af6204
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog.d/1547.change.md
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Deferred the import of `inspect` and the loading of the `validators` and `converters` submodules until first use, reducing `import attr`/`import attrs` time by ~25%.
diff --git a/src/attr/__init__.py b/src/attr/__init__.py
index 5c6e0650b..e4f69fabe 100644
--- a/src/attr/__init__.py
+++ b/src/attr/__init__.py
@@ -4,10 +4,12 @@
 Classes Without Boilerplate
 """
 
+import sys
+
 from functools import partial
 from typing import Callable, Literal, Protocol
 
-from . import converters, exceptions, filters, setters, validators
+from . import exceptions, filters, setters
 from ._cmp import cmp_using
 from ._config import get_run_validators, set_run_validators
 from ._funcs import asdict, assoc, astuple, has, resolve_types
@@ -78,6 +80,9 @@ class AttrsInstance(Protocol):
 ]
 
 
+_LAZY_SUBMODULES = {"converters", "validators"}
+
+
 def _make_getattr(mod_name: str) -> Callable:
     """
     Create a metadata proxy for packaging information that uses *mod_name* in
@@ -85,6 +90,13 @@ def _make_getattr(mod_name: str) -> Callable:
     """
 
     def __getattr__(name: str) -> str:
+        if name in _LAZY_SUBMODULES:
+            import importlib
+
+            mod = importlib.import_module(f".{name}", mod_name)
+            sys.modules[mod_name].__dict__[name] = mod
+            return mod
+
         if name not in ("__version__", "__version_info__"):
             msg = f"module {mod_name} has no attribute {name}"
             raise AttributeError(msg)
@@ -102,3 +114,7 @@ def __getattr__(name: str) -> str:
 
 
 __getattr__ = _make_getattr(__name__)
+
+
+def __dir__() -> list[str]:
+    return __all__
diff --git a/src/attr/_compat.py b/src/attr/_compat.py
index bc68ed9ea..e25a4a87a 100644
--- a/src/attr/_compat.py
+++ b/src/attr/_compat.py
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
 
-import inspect
 import platform
 import sys
 import threading
@@ -46,6 +45,8 @@ class _AnnotationExtractor:
     __slots__ = ["sig"]
 
     def __init__(self, callable):
+        import inspect
+
         try:
             self.sig = inspect.signature(callable)
         except (ValueError, TypeError):  # inspect failed
@@ -55,6 +56,8 @@ def get_first_param_type(self):
         """
         Return the type annotation of the first argument if it's not empty.
         """
+        import inspect
+
         if not self.sig:
             return None
 
@@ -68,6 +71,8 @@ def get_return_type(self):
         """
         Return the return type if it's not empty.
         """
+        import inspect
+
         if (
             self.sig
             and self.sig.return_annotation is not inspect.Signature.empty
diff --git a/src/attr/_make.py b/src/attr/_make.py
index 793bfd89d..89852f351 100644
--- a/src/attr/_make.py
+++ b/src/attr/_make.py
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@
 import contextlib
 import copy
 import enum
-import inspect
 import itertools
 import linecache
 import sys
@@ -705,6 +704,8 @@ def __init__(
         if self._has_pre_init:
             # Check if the pre init method has more arguments than just `self`
             # We want to pass arguments if pre init expects arguments
+            import inspect
+
             pre_init_func = cls.__attrs_pre_init__
             pre_init_signature = inspect.signature(pre_init_func)
             self._pre_init_has_args = len(pre_init_signature.parameters) > 1
@@ -920,6 +921,8 @@ def _create_slots_class(self):
         # To know to update them.
         additional_closure_functions_to_update = []
         if cached_properties:
+            import inspect
+
             class_annotations = _get_annotations(self._cls)
             for name, func in cached_properties.items():
                 # Add cached properties to names for slotting.
diff --git a/src/attrs/__init__.py b/src/attrs/__init__.py
index dc1ce4b97..9aaa225ee 100644
--- a/src/attrs/__init__.py
+++ b/src/attrs/__init__.py
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@
 from attr._make import ClassProps
 from attr._next_gen import asdict, astuple, inspect
 
-from . import converters, exceptions, filters, setters, validators
+from . import exceptions, filters, setters
 
 
 __all__ = [
@@ -70,3 +70,7 @@
 ]
 
 __getattr__ = _make_getattr(__name__)
+
+
+def __dir__() -> list[str]:
+    return __all__
diff --git a/tests/test_import.py b/tests/test_import.py
index 9e90a5c11..922d7a800 100644
--- a/tests/test_import.py
+++ b/tests/test_import.py
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
 
+import attr
+import attrs
+
 
 class TestImportStar:
     def test_from_attr_import_star(self):
@@ -9,3 +12,19 @@ def test_from_attr_import_star(self):
         # attr_import_star contains `from attr import *`, which cannot
         # be done here because *-imports are only allowed on module level.
         from . import attr_import_star  # noqa: F401
+
+
+class TestDir:
+    def test_attr_dir_includes_lazy_submodules(self):
+        """
+        converters and validators are listed in dir(attr).
+        """
+        assert "converters" in dir(attr)
+        assert "validators" in dir(attr)
+
+    def test_attrs_dir_includes_lazy_submodules(self):
+        """
+        converters and validators are listed in dir(attrs).
+        """
+        assert "converters" in dir(attrs)
+        assert "validators" in dir(attrs)