interesting

1 of 2

adjective

in·​ter·​est·​ing ˈin-t(ə-)rə-stiŋ  ˈin-tə-ˌre- 

ˈin-ˌtre-;

ˈin-tər-

: holding the attention : arousing interest

interestingness noun

interestingness

2 of 2

noun

in·​ter·​est·​ing·​ness

plural -es

: the quality or state of being interesting

others who felt the essential interestingness of his writings

—Times Literary Supplement

Did you know?

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.

Synonyms of interesting

Adjective

• intriguing
• fascinating
• engaging
• exciting
• absorbing

Examples of interesting in a Sentence

Adjective

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

Adjective

The other new California additions aren't as interesting or camper-specific, comprising more aesthetic updates across the entire Multivan lineup. — New Atlas, 26 June 2026

Try it with any interesting spice blend in your pantry, or whip up a batch of this all-purpose mix, made with salt and pepper, plus garlic and onion powders, paprika, and celery seeds. — Hannah Agran, Midwest Living, 26 June 2026

An interesting month for the ‘baby designer’ crowd A new genome-editing tool used in early embryos has illuminated the role of a key gene overseeing the first stages of human development — and heightened the ongoing debate about whether such tools could or should ever be used to make a baby. — O. Rose Broderick, STAT, 26 June 2026

That might have made for some interesting friction between the pair. — Siddhant Adlakha, Vulture, 26 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1768, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for interesting

• uninteresting

Kids Definition

interesting

adjective

in·​ter·​est·​ing ˈin-trəst-iŋ  ˈint-ə-ˌrest-iŋ 

-ə-rəst-, 

-ərst-

: holding the attention : arousing interest