interesting

adjective

in·​ter·​est·​ing ˈin-t(ə-)rə-stiŋ How to pronounce interesting (audio) ˈin-tə-ˌre- How to pronounce interesting (audio)
ˈin-ˌtre-;
ˈin-tər-
: holding the attention : arousing interest
interestingness noun

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The Pronunciation and History of Interesting

There are a number of ways to say interesting. It can have three syllables or four; it can have an accent only on the first syllable, or it can also have a secondary accent on the "res"; the first "e" can get ignored, resulting in a second syllable of "tres" rhyming with dress; or the second "e" can be ignored, resulting in a syllable that sounds like terse. All of these various pronunciations are well-established and occur in the speech of educated, native speakers of English.

The word interesting originally meant "of concern"; it was a synonym of important. It comes from the verb interest, which in its original use meant "to induce or persuade to participate or engage." If you were interested in something, you were not willing to be a bystander; you felt the need to participate or engage.

Examples of interesting in a Sentence

This is one of the most interesting books I've read all year. It will be interesting to see how she decides to spend the money. This building has an interesting history. I don't find politics very interesting. I found it interesting to learn that she had once lived in California. Most of what he said wasn't interesting to me.
Recent Examples on the Web It’s been an interesting few years in the watch industry to say the least. Cait Bazemore, Robb Report, 13 Mar. 2024 Nationalization seems politically interesting but practically unlikely. Allison Morrow, CNN, 13 Mar. 2024 Sign up to get the rest free, including news from around the globe and interesting ideas and opinions to know, sent to your inbox every weekday. Adam Taylor, Washington Post, 12 Mar. 2024 Because that provokes a very interesting state of mind. Luke Leitch, Vogue, 11 Mar. 2024 This season, the tension between educators and the city employees whose choices affect students’ day-to-day lives gets an interesting twist. Hannah Giorgis, The Atlantic, 11 Mar. 2024 The interesting part comes Tuesday, when the Mountain West coaches announced their postseason awards. Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Mar. 2024 Taylor Wilson: Well, an interesting question that your piece approaches is whether Christian nationalism is actually Christian. Taylor Wilson, USA TODAY, 11 Mar. 2024 Danielle is an excellent writer who looks for interesting story lines on every assignment. Joe Mutascio, The Indianapolis Star, 11 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'interesting.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1768, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of interesting was in 1768

Dictionary Entries Near interesting

Cite this Entry

“Interesting.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/interesting. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

interesting

adjective
in·​ter·​est·​ing ˈin-trəst-iŋ How to pronounce interesting (audio) ˈint-ə-ˌrest-iŋ How to pronounce interesting (audio)
-ə-rəst-,
-ərst-
: holding the attention : arousing interest

More from Merriam-Webster on interesting

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