interesting

adjective

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

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.

Synonyms of interesting

• intriguing
• fascinating
• engaging
• exciting
• absorbing

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

Mature trees, a few ponds and bunkers, mostly flat but still interesting. — Barbara Ellis, Denver Post, 7 July 2026

At the very least the club has found a way to keep things interesting heading into July. — Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 7 July 2026

Randomly poking at the menu can reveal some interesting finds. — John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 7 July 2026

The last - and perhaps the most interesting - reason comes from behavioral economics. — Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 7 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

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