interesting

[ in-ter-uh-sting, -truh-sting, -tuh-res-ting ]

adjective

1. engaging or exciting and holding the attention or curiosity:

   an interesting book.

   Synonyms: entertaining, absorbing

   Antonyms: dull

2. arousing a feeling of interest:

   an interesting face.

interesting

/ ˈɪntrɪstɪŋ; -tərɪs- /

adjective

1. inspiring interest; absorbing

Derived Forms

• ˈinterestingness, noun
• ˈinterestingly, adverb

Other Words From

• inter·est·ing·ly adverb
• inter·est·ing·ness noun
• un·inter·est·ing adjective
• un·inter·est·ing·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of interesting¹

First recorded in 1705–15; interest + -ing ²

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. in an interesting condition, (of a woman) pregnant.

Example Sentences

"What makes this so interesting is that others capture, recover and then convert carbon dioxide in steps, while we save energy by doing these steps simultaneously."

From Science Daily

Here are some of the most shocking and interesting revelations from "Cher: The Memoir Part One":

From Salon

Many researchers say interesting interactions were increasingly obscured by misinformation and hate.

From Science Magazine

“I felt his music was complex, beautiful, harmonically and textually varied,” says Coppola, “and interesting.”

From Los Angeles Times

"There are some interesting shopping habits in this aisle," he said, adding he had known rows between couples after a man had become "intrigued by a gadget or two".

From BBC

Related Words

• alluring
• amusing
• attractive
• compelling
• curious
• delightful
• engaging
• exotic
• fascinating
• impressive
• intriguing
• lovely
• pleasing
• provocative
• readable
• refreshing
• stimulating
• striking
• thought-provoking
• unusual

When To Use

What are other ways to say interesting?

A person or a thing that is interesting arouses a feeling of curiosity or concern, or is engaging and exciting. But interesting isn’t quite the same as pleasing or gratifying. Find out why on Thesaurus.com.