- present participle of interest.
interesting
Americanadjective
-
engaging or exciting and holding the attention or curiosity.
an interesting book.
- Synonyms:
- entertaining, absorbing
- Antonyms:
- dull
-
arousing a feeling of interest.
an interesting face.
idioms
adjective
Usage
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.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of interesting
Explanation
When you're giving a speech, you probably hope that your audience is gazing at you in fascination because what you're saying is so interesting, and not because you've got something weird on your face. The adjective interesting describes something that makes you curious, or catches your attention, but sometimes people use the word in a doubtful way when they are taken aback but want to be polite. Like if your grandmother looks at your new tattoo and says, "Well, that's certainly interesting!" Chances are she's not actually feeling very enthusiastic about your choice of body art.
Vocabulary lists containing interesting
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
An annual report of university business administrators from 2025 points out an interesting divide between the haves and have-nots of higher education.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026
It’s more interesting that it comes for her, and it’s also interesting that Sasha is like, “I actually don’t think this is the right time for us.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 23, 2026
"You could argue we are in a more interesting time because for basically 15 years it was Messi v Ronaldo and it certainly feels more open. It is a different play now," adds Kirkham.
From BBC ● Oct. 23, 2026
The findings are especially interesting because a separate astronomical project has also produced evidence suggesting that dark energy might not remain constant.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 23, 2026
It was interesting to hear about the “lemony notes” in your last letter.
From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
