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

Other Word Forms

• interestingly adverb
• interestingness noun
• uninteresting adjective
• uninterestingly 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

Partners were unable to handle the "attention, praise or just interesting opportunities" that would come her way.

From BBC

"It will be interesting to see what the defendant comes up with," she said.

From BBC

“And it was very meaningful to me. Now I hear him talk about it and it’s very interesting because he can say, ‘Oh, I see where I made mistakes in that relationship.’

From Los Angeles Times

He said: "A little interesting tidbit is that this means the boiling point of water will be probably 98C for parts of the north west of Scotland on Friday night, in theory."

From BBC

Eight politicians are competing in, arguably, the most interesting by-election in the 26-years of Welsh devolution.

From BBC

Related Words

• alluring 
• amusing 
• attractive 
• compelling 
• curious 
• delightful 
• engaging 
• exotic 
• fascinating 
• impressive 
• intriguing www.thesaurus.com
• 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.