interest
noun
; ˈin-tə-ˌrest, -ˌtrest; ˈin-tərst\
Definition of interest
(Entry 1 of 2)
interest
verbDefinition of interest (Entry 2 of 2)
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Synonyms for interest
Synonyms: Noun
Synonyms: Verb
absorb, bemuse, busy, catch up, engage, engross, enthrall (or enthral), enwrap, fascinate, grip, immerse, intrigue, involve, occupy
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Examples of interest in a Sentence
Noun
She told us about her lifelong interest in music. The kids listened to the speaker for a little while, but then lost interest. The speaker wasn't able to hold their interest. She took an active interest in the political debate. He expressed an interest in learning more about photography. The stories about his personal life add interest to the book. I thought this article might be of interest to you. We visited many places of interest on our vacation. The price of the ticket was a matter of interest to everyone. Music is one of her many interests.Verb
Military history doesn't really interest me. It might interest you to know that the woman in this photograph is your great-grandmother. It interested me to learn that she had once lived in California. The salesman tried to interest me in a more expensive computer.
Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
This increase is part of the reason Ishigaki Jujitsu, the U.K.’s only dedicated LGBTQ martial arts club, has seen an increase in interest over the past few years. — NBC News, "From Rio to Orlando, self-defense classes are catering to LGBTQ people," 10 Sep. 2019 Indeed, even the more apolitical federal agencies are now behaving more like Trump Organization subsidiaries than civil servants working in the public interest. — Matt Ford, The New Republic, "The Trump Organization’s Hostile Takeover of the U.S. Government," 10 Sep. 2019 But Samii has seen less interest from younger generations. — Mallory Moench, SFChronicle.com, "‘A dying art’: SF couture designer Lily Samii retires as industry evolves," 6 Sep. 2019 In this case, the city of Sacramento has determined that this partial resolution of the lawsuit filed on behalf of Mr. Clark’s family is in the best interest of our community. — Breanna Edwards, Essence, "Children Of Stephon Clark To Receive $2.4 Million From City Of Sacramento," 6 Sep. 2019 But outsiders had already begun to gather the data in the interests of informing the public. — Lynne Peeples, Scientific American, "What the Data Say about Police Shootings," 5 Sep. 2019 While sitting in Hong Kong, the money could amass millions of dollars in interest without being taxed. — Max De Haldevang, Quartz, "Walmart dodged up to $2.6 billion in US tax through a “fictitious” Chinese entity, former executive says," 5 Sep. 2019 In some instances, powerful lobbies with commercial interests, in association with the state machinery, have attempted to ravage entire landforms hitherto treated as gods by locals. — K A Shaji, Quartz India, "Tribals in India’s Kerala are protesting against a Hindu name given to a captured elephant," 30 Aug. 2019 Yet their war on regulation, especially of carbon emissions, was squarely in the interests of their shareholders (themselves). — The Economist, "The Kochtopus’s garden," 29 Aug. 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
This interests me because of the startup concept of scale. — Neil Senturia, San Diego Union-Tribune, "If you can do the job, who cares if you have white hair or no hair?," 7 Sep. 2019 Paris Saint-Germain could be in for a very busy Monday, with the French side reportedly interested in late deals for Inter's Mauro Icardi and Juventus defender Mattia De Sciglio. — SI.com, "PSG Linked With Mauro Icardi and Mattia De Sciglio Ahead of Deadline Day," 1 Sep. 2019 Weezer keeps road life interesting for themselves and its fans by sharing the bill with a co-headliner. — Chris Varias, Cincinnati.com, "Weezer keeps touring fun by sharing the stage. This time around, it's with the Pixies," 2 July 2018 Would you be interested in purchasing the list of Attendees with complete contact information for your future prospect, networking and various other post and pre-show Marketing initiatives. — Taylor Mims, Billboard, "Scams Offering to Sell Festivals' Customer Data Highlight Ongoing Battle for Privacy," 7 Aug. 2019 Bowlen was interested in purchasing the Los Angeles Rams and then passed on an option in 1981 to buy the Canadian Football League’s Montreal Alouettes. — Ryan O'halloran, The Denver Post, "For Pat Bowlen, family, friends and adventure in Hawaii represented “perfect lifestyle”," 28 July 2019 But last week Chance the Snapper wasn't interested in Bob's bait, evading capture as authorities had difficulty spotting it beneath the murky water. — Meagan Flynn, Anchorage Daily News, "After days on the loose, alligator that shut down Chicago park is caught by Florida man," 16 July 2019 For those hoping for a Midsommar sequel (what does happen during the rest of the festival, if the whole bear fiasco wasn't the end?), Aster isn't interested in pursuing right away. — Kaitlin Reilly, refinery29.com, "The Alternative Version Of Midsommar Is Probably Even More Twisted," 15 July 2019 Several teams are reportedly interested in former fourth overall pick Jesse Puljujarvi. — Matt Porter, BostonGlobe.com, "Where NHL teams stand entering free agency," 29 June 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'interest.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for interest
interest
nounFinancial Definition of interest
What It Is
Interest is the cost of borrowing money for a certain period of time.
How It Works
Let's assume you need $500,000 to buy a house. The "price" of borrowing that money is interest, and it is expressed as a percentage of the amount of money you obtain. The borrower pays the interest to the lender. The rate of interest reflects the time value of money, the borrower's credit risk, inflation rates and a variety of other market conditions.
Why It Matters
Interest rates are some of the most powerful and influential components of an economy. As a result,
most countries take a keen interest, if not an active role, in monit