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

"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

This creates interesting dynamics that drew the attention of the research team.

From Science Daily

"The brain is the most interesting part of the body," Bernard said.

From Science Daily

Things will get really interesting when some of the injured stars return to the fold.

From BBC

“When we watched video of him, the interesting thing was when he was scoring goals, he was constantly ending up inside the box,” Vanney said.

From Los Angeles Times

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.