Interesting

ˈɪntrəstɪŋ

adjectiveBeginner🔥Very CommonEmotion
1 meaning1 idiom/phrase3 questions

Definitions

1

Arousing curiosity or attention.

ˈɪntrəstɪŋ

adjectivepositiveBeginner
Emotion

Arousing curiosity or attention; holding one's interest.

The museum had an interesting exhibit on ancient Egypt.

💡 Simply: Imagine you're watching a movie, and it's so good that you're hooked! That's interesting! It's something that makes you want to learn more or pay attention.

👶 For kids: When something is so fun or exciting that you want to learn more about it!

More Examples

2

She shared an interesting story about her travels.

3

The book offers an interesting perspective on the issue.

How It's Used

General conversation

"The documentary was very interesting."

Academic writing

"The study presented some interesting findings."

Creative writing

"Her interesting perspective on life made her stand out."

Synonyms & Antonyms

Idioms & expressions

That's interesting.

Expressing polite interest, often as a response to a piece of information.

"A: I'm planning to move to Japan. B: That's interesting. Tell me more."

From the verb "interest," which derives from the Latin "interesse" meaning "to be between, to concern, to make a difference." The -ing suffix indicates a present participle, denoting something that causes interest.

The word 'interesting' has been in use since the 17th century, initially as a participle of the verb 'interest' which gained prominence in the 16th century.

Memory tip

Think of something that grabs your attention and makes you want to know more.

Word Origin

LanguageLatin
Original meaning

"to be between, to concern, to make a difference"

very interestingquite interestingan interesting ideaan interesting factfind interestinglook interesting

Common misspellings

interstingintrestinginterresting

Usage

60%Spoken
40%Written