with interest

Idioms

With more than what one should receive, extra, and then some. For example, Mary borrowed Jane's new dress without asking, but Jane paid her back with interest—she drove off in Mary's car. This idiom alludes to interest in the financial sense. Its figurative use dates from the late 1500s.

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.

She’s hoping to get about $20,000 refunded along with interest.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 20, 2026

He expects visitor numbers to continue to rise this year, with interest from cruise ship passengers increasing too.

From BBC • Apr. 19, 2026

Ultimately, the bulk of the reasoning behind recent moves “is due to an oil price shock leading to inflation worries, forcing the Fed to stay on hold” with interest rates, Zeng said.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 13, 2026

Customs and Border Protection could return most of the money owed to importers, with interest, at the push of a button.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 20, 2026

Archer looked on with interest as she held out the piece of crystal in the center of her palm.

From "The Reader" by Traci Chee

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023