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 Sign up to get the rest free, including news from around the globe and interesting ideas and opinions to know, sent to your inbox every weekday. Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 25 Mar. 2024 Aside from a great setting for long walks on the beach, this small community hosts interesting events like Jazz on the Beach and Sunday Farmers Markets—grab some provisions for an epic beach picnic for you and your sweetheart. Cynthia J Drake, Southern Living, 25 Mar. 2024 There's plenty of worthy and interesting candidates from Joey's season, including Maria, who got quite a reception at last Monday's Women Tell All. Jessica Radloff, Glamour, 24 Mar. 2024 The third group was instructed to perform an interesting and engaging imagery task, such as creating or remembering a meadow, a waterfall, a holiday or a summer afternoon in the sun. Sandee Lamotte, CNN, 24 Mar. 2024 Richards has so many interesting stories from his days as a game show producer, including his short time at Jeopardy! Gillian Telling, Peoplemag, 23 Mar. 2024 Don’t try to be interesting; instead, be interested in others. Chris Gallagher, USA TODAY, 23 Mar. 2024 Get creative, in season there are plenty of interesting varieties at the farmers market. Jan Miller, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Mar. 2024 The protagonist can bring a menagerie of allies into battle, each one less interesting than the last. Katcy Stephan, Variety, 21 Mar. 2024

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 28 Mar. 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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