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

However, the Huskies have had three losing seasons, changed coaches, and last season Vital had, let’s call it, an interesting relationship with new coach Dan Hurley. — Dom Amore, courant.com, "UConn men: Christian Vital, Huskies ‘on the same page’ as final AAC season approaches," 30 Aug. 2019 That’s what will make next month’s inaugural MAX Field Hockey National High School Invitational so interesting. — Rich Scherr, baltimoresun.com, "Field hockey is on the rise in Maryland. At a new national invitational, the state can measure its growth.," 30 Aug. 2019 Some of the most interesting research done so far has been in test tubes or animals only, showing potential links between molecular hydrogen and neurological benefits. — Jaclyn London, Ms, Rd, Cdn, Good Housekeeping, "The Truth About Hydrogen Water and Its Benefits, According to a Nutritionist," 29 Aug. 2019 The lengths of Scorsese’s films over time follows an interesting pattern. — Adam Epstein, Quartzy, "At 3.5 hours, “The Irishman” will be Martin Scorsese’s longest movie ever," 28 Aug. 2019 Against all odds, and seriously bucking a league-wide trend, the Niners have managed to make the preseason really interesting. — Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, "Kurtenbach: 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo has done the impossible — he’s made preseason games interesting," 23 Aug. 2019 To make things a bit more interesting, Carper altered and redesigned a lot of the pieces, reinventing them and reintroducing them back into their wardrobe. — Tatum Dooley, Teen Vogue, "Camilla Carper Is the Designer Letting People Dress Them, All in the Name of Art," 22 Aug. 2019 This in turn explains the interesting hydrological networks beneath the soil surface. — Alfred Oteng-yeboah, Quartz Africa, "Ghana’s pact with China for bauxite mining threatens to ravage a biodiverse forest," 21 Aug. 2019 Things will really get interesting if Sean Manaea continues his successful rehabilitation and top prospect Jesus Luzardo gets a September taste. — Bruce Jenkins, SFChronicle.com, "A’s win; are they in the Yankees’ league?," 20 Aug. 2019

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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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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interesting

Definition of interesting

Other Words from interesting

Synonyms & Antonyms for interesting

The Pronunciation and History of Interesting

Examples of interesting in a Sentence

First Known Use of interesting

English Language Learners Definition of interesting

Kids Definition of interesting

interesting

Definition of interesting

Other Words from interesting

Synonyms & Antonyms for interesting

The Pronunciation and History of Interesting

Examples of interesting in a Sentence

First Known Use of interesting

English Language Learners Definition of interesting

Kids Definition of interesting

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