interesting

adjective

in·ter·est·ing | \ˈin-t(ə-)rə-stiŋ;

ˈin-tə-ˌre-, ˈin-ˌtre-;ˈin-tər-

\

Definition of interesting

: holding the attention : arousing interest

Other Words from interesting Synonyms & Antonyms The Pronunciation and History of Interesting Example Sentences Learn More about interesting

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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

And in an interesting way, too: by putting a jumbo body on the company’s inimitable small-car mechanicals. — Dan Neil, WSJ, "2019 Subaru Ascent: A Bigger, Better Family SUV," 12 July 2018 Leonard’s coming would give a year of more interesting basketball and cut the waiting to one year. — Dave Hyde, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Heat: Why wouldn't Heat be all-in for Kawhi Leonard?," 7 July 2018 Meeting with Kim Jong Un was an interesting and very positive experience. — CBS News, "North Korea calls Pompeo talks "regrettable," accuses U.S. of unilateral denuclearization demands," 7 July 2018 On its own, yes, the Boogie signing is an interesting and probably meaningless gamble. — Andrew Sharp, SI.com, "The NBA is Broken, But Not Because of DeMarcus Cousins," 5 July 2018 His characters are deftly sketched rather than deeply worked, but interesting and sympathetic. — The Economist, "Tommy Orange’s debut novel is a work of defiance and recovery," 5 July 2018 That is an interesting and very perceptive thought. — Fox News, "Gutfeld: Trump is succeeding and it's the media's nightmare," 24 June 2018 Errors are mostly forgivable, because the movie succeeds at making dinosaurs exciting, interesting, and something to root for. — Olivia B. Waxman, Time, "The Real Scientific History Behind the Jurassic Park Dinosaurs," 22 June 2018 Others lauded the holes as interesting and challenging. — Tod Leonard, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Carmel Mountain Ranch Country Club will be latest S.D. golf course to close," 20 June 2018

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.

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Dictionary Entries near interesting

interesterification

interest lottery

interest policy

Statistics for interesting

Last Updated

14 Oct 2018

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for interesting

The first known use of interesting was in 1768

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More Definitions for interesting

interesting

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of interesting

: attracting your attention and making you want to learn more about something or to be involved in something : not dull or boring

See the full definition for interesting in the English Language Learners Dictionary

interesting

adjective

in·ter·est·ing | \ˈin-trə-stiŋ,

ˈin-tə-rə-\

Kids Definition of interesting

: holding the attention : not dull or boring an interesting story

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evasion of direct action or statement

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