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.
And while the nonbinary actor hopes that their gender is not the most interesting bit about them, D’Arcy is committed to speaking “as loudly as I can on behalf of the trans community.”
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 17, 2026
Banks, 22, thought "it was interesting they were doing an English version so quickly".
From BBC • Jun. 17, 2026
It’s an interesting finding and shows a greater emphasis on flexibility, resilience and diversification in their reserve management operations, according to Fan.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 16, 2026
“We think the acquisition is interesting particularly as it gets Salesforce deeper into customer engagement,” an RBC Capital Markets team of analysts led by Rishi Jaluria, wrote Monday.
From Barron's • Jun. 15, 2026
But he grinned a very big grin anyway, because in a short while, he would be encircled by his friends, telling them an interesting story and eating blackberry Snow Delights.
From "The Very, Very Far North" by Dan Bar-el
Definitions 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.
