Definition of interesting
: holding the attention : arousing interest
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Updated on: 16 Apr 2018
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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 of interesting from the Web
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In the first season there was an interesting dynamic between Molly, the polished lawyer, and Rasheeda, the loud summer clerk.
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If yesterday's Senate hearing is anything to go by, some interesting threads remain to pull.
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But the new research adds an interesting layer to a body of evidence suggesting that communication and co-operation were crucial to the survival of our species.
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What’s interesting is that now anyone can do the trickery that’s been happening to celebrities for a long time.
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Each month, different partner senior centers host an interesting activity.
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Carrie Nieman Culpepper: Some interesting people must live in this house.
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On Saturday, the show's new season premiered after a decade-long break — and people had a lot to say about Hildi Santo-Tomas and Doug Wilson's interesting room transformations.
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Several small plates offered interesting departures from the basics.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'interesting.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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.
First Known Use of interesting
1768
interesting Synonyms
Synonyms
absorbing, arresting, consuming, engaging, engrossing, enthralling, fascinating, gripping, immersing, intriguing, involving, riveting;
Antonyms
boring, drab, dry, dull, heavy, monotonous, tedious, uninteresting;
Related Words
breathtaking, electric, electrifying, exciting, exhilarating, galvanizing, inspiring, rousing, stimulating, stirring, thrilling;
emphatic, showy, splashy, striking;
amazing, astonishing, astounding, eventful, eye-opening, fabulous, marvelous (or marvellous), surprising, wonderful, wondrous;
INTERESTING Defined for English Language Learners
Definition of interesting for English Language Learners
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: attracting your attention and making you want to learn more about something or to be involved in something : not dull or boring
INTERESTING Defined for Kids
Definition of interesting for Students
: holding the attention : not dull or boring
- an interesting story
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interestingly
adverbLearn More about interesting
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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for interesting Spanish Central: Translation of interesting Nglish: Translation of interesting for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of interesting for Arabic speakers
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