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 However, if renewable energy is unavailable in your region, partnering with local providers can often be an interesting value-add. Vanessa Thompson, Forbes, 25 Sep. 2024 Symphony San Jose Executive Artist Director Robert Massey has an interesting history with pianist Jon Nakamatsu, the San Jose native who is the featured soloist for the symphony’s season opener the first weekend in October. Sal Pizarro, The Mercury News, 25 Sep. 2024 Sign up for our Park Life newsletter and find out what’s new and interesting every week at Southern California’s theme parks. Brady MacDonald, Orange County Register, 25 Sep. 2024 Despite having some interesting new concepts that let the character have a little bit of a departure from the norm, Echoes of Wisdom routinely falls back into its safe zone. Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 25 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for interesting 

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 6 Oct. 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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