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
- interestingly adverb
- interestingness noun
- uninteresting adjective
- uninterestingly adverb
Etymology
Origin of 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.
The revenge of the analog—through the popularity of Moleskine notebooks and letterpress cards, through the revival of film cameras among Gen Z—comes down to something more interesting than simple nostalgia.
From Slate • Apr. 4, 2026
“You’re not going to take it off-road, you’re not going to go do anything interesting with it,” he said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026
“Will be interesting to see how spiking gas prices pull down the two lower legs of the E,” another user wrote.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 3, 2026
I can work on my phone and look up when something interesting happens.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026
“Now, let’s get on with it, shall we? We have much more interesting things to discuss than babies.”
From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff
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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.