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

• interestingness noun
• interestingly adverb
• 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

It is also interesting to see these findings have implications for other diseases with neutrophil recruitment and activation.

Read more on Science Daily

And I agree with her: The best places to visit often have an interesting backstory.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

"We initially weren't exactly sure what the parade or march was about, but there was chanting and they were banging these loud drums, so we thought it was interesting and worth photographing."

Read more on BBC

“How he makes a set — he wants to capture all the nuance and the things that make us humans interesting.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

“They do one little thing and say, ‘Oh, it’s interesting,’ and then it does something that annoys them, and they say, ‘Ah, it’s not worth my time.’

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

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.