interest
interest — noun
1. your wish to learn more about a person, an idea, or an activity and stay engaged
your wish to learn more about a person, an idea, or an activity and stay engaged with it
Tamar showed a keen interest in ancient history from a very young age.
show + interest + in + topic
The children listened to the museum guide with great interest.
with + interest (prepositional phrase)
Nia's interest in photography began when she received a camera for her birthday.
possessive + interest + in
The recent fossil discoveries have sparked new interest in marine biology.
spark + interest + in
Pim tried to hide his interest in the deal, but his questions gave him away.
- show interest in
- take an interest in
- lose interest
- great interest
- keen interest
- spark interest
- express interest
- curiosity
stronger desire to learn or know; more active and questioning
- attention
focus of the mind; less emotional than interest
- fascination
very strong interest that is hard to turn away from
- concern
interest mixed with worry or care
- indifference
lack of interest or feeling
- apathy
complete lack of interest or emotion
Grammar Patterns
interest + in + noun/gerund
show/express/take + interest + in
Usage Note
Commonly used with verbs like show, express, take, have, lose, and spark. The preposition in usually follows.
Common Mistakes
2. the activities or subjects you enjoy doing or learning about in your free time
the activities or subjects you enjoy doing or learning about in your free time
Defne's main interests include hiking, reading, and playing the piano.
list of interests using 'include'
When asked about his interests, Jude mentioned cooking and traveling.
The club is for people who share an interest in traditional woodworking.
share + an interest + in
Mia has a wide range of interests, from painting to rock climbing.
a wide range of interests + from...to
Kabir's interest in astronomy led him to join a local stargazing group.
- range of interests
- share an interest
- outside interests
- common interests
- broad interests
- narrow interests
Grammar Patterns
interests + in + noun/gerund
have + interests + outside/beyond
Usage Note
Usually appears in the plural form (interests) when listing hobbies. The singular (interest) can also be used for a single activity.
Common Mistakes
3. the power of something to draw your notice and keep you curious about it
the power of something to draw your notice and keep you curious about it
The old town has a certain historical interest that draws visitors from abroad.
historical / cultural / scientific + interest
Élise found little interest in the lecture and struggled to stay awake through it.
find + little / no + interest + in
This documentary is of particular interest to anyone who loves marine wildlife.
be of + interest + to + person
What gives this novel its lasting interest is the author's unique perspective on war.
The archaeological site holds great interest for researchers around the world.
hold + interest + for + person
- of interest
- hold interest
- historical interest
- scientific interest
- lasting interest
- particular interest
- appeal
power to attract; often used for visual or emotional attraction
- attraction
something that draws attention; can be a physical feature
- fascination
a very strong power to hold attention
Grammar Patterns
be of + interest + to + person
hold + interest + for + person
Usage Note
Often used in the phrase 'be of interest' followed by 'to'. This sense describes a property of something rather than a feeling in someone.
Common Mistakes
4. something that helps you or gives you an advantage; the things that are good for
something that helps you or gives you an advantage; the things that are good for a particular person or group
The lawyer acted in the best interests of her young client throughout the trial.
in the (best) interests of
It is in everyone's interest to keep the public park clean and safe for children.
in + possessive + interest
The new trade agreement serves the economic interests of both nations equally.
The parents put their children's interests above their own career ambitions.
put + possessive + interests + above + possessive
Kabir felt the new parking policy was against the interests of small shop owners.
against the interests of
- in the interest of
- best interests
- serve interests
- protect interests
- against interests
- self-interest
- public interest
- benefit
something that produces good results; more general
- advantage
something that puts you in a better position than others
- well-being
the state of being comfortable, healthy, or happy
- welfare
formal; the health, happiness, and prosperity of a person or group
Grammar Patterns
in the + interests + of + noun
act in + possessive + (best) interests
Usage Note
Frequently appears in fixed phrases: 'in the interest(s) of', 'in someone's (best) interest', 'serve the interests of'. Often used in formal, business, or legal contexts.
Common Mistakes
5. a percentage-based fee that lenders add to borrowed money, and that you must pay
a percentage-based fee that lenders add to borrowed money, and that you must pay on top of the original amount
The bank charges five percent interest on all personal loans.
interest + on + type of loan
Tamar paid off her credit card early to avoid paying high interest charges.
pay / avoid + interest (charges)
Interest rates on home mortgages have risen sharply this year across the country.
interest rates + on + mortgages
When you borrow money, you must pay interest on top of the original amount.
The small business took out a loan at a very low rate of interest.
rate of interest / interest rate
- interest rate
- interest on
- pay interest
- high interest
- low interest
- rate of interest
- interest charges
- interest payments
- borrowing cost
the total cost of taking out a loan, including interest and fees
- finance charge
the total cost of credit, including interest and other fees
- APR
annual percentage rate; a standard measure of borrowing cost
Grammar Patterns
interest + on + loan/credit/mortgage
pay + interest
rate of + interest
Usage Note
Interest in this sense is the cost of borrowing. It is often discussed as a 'rate' (percentage). Distinguish from sense 6 (money earned on savings).
Common Mistakes
6. the money added to your savings or investments by a bank, based on the amount yo
the money added to your savings or investments by a bank, based on the amount you have deposited
Nia earns two percent interest each year on her savings account at the local bank.
earn + interest + on + account type
The money in the fixed deposit account will gradually accumulate interest over several years.
accumulate interest
Jude was pleased to see interest added to his account at month's end.
High-interest savings accounts offer much better returns than standard checking accounts.
high-interest + type of account
The interest on the government bonds was paid out to investors every six months.
interest + on + investment type
- earn interest
- interest on savings
- accumulate interest
- high-interest account
- compound interest
- interest payment
- annual interest
Grammar Patterns
earn + interest + on + savings/investment
interest + on + account
Usage Note
This sense overlaps with sense 5 in many contexts (both involve money and percentages). Distinguish by perspective: sense 5 is what YOU pay when borrowing; this sense is what the BANK pays you for saving or investing.
Common Mistakes
7. a legal right to own part of a business or to receive some of its profits; a for
a legal right to own part of a business or to receive some of its profits; a formal connection to property or a company
Defne purchased a controlling interest in the family business to secure her position.
controlling / majority / minority + interest + in
The corporation sold all its interests in several overseas properties last quarter.
sell + possessive + interests + in + properties
A conflict of interest arose when the judge owned shares in the company being tried.
conflict of interest
Élise acquired a majority interest in the publishing house after months of negotiation.
acquire + a + (type) + interest + in
The lawyer disclosed his financial interest in the property before the meeting began.
- controlling interest
- majority interest
- minority interest
- conflict of interest
- acquire an interest
- sell an interest
- interest in
- stake
a share or financial involvement in a business
- shareholding
the number of shares a person or organization owns in a company
- equity
the value of the shares issued by a company; ownership interest
Grammar Patterns
interest + in + company/property
have + an/controlling/majority + interest + in
Usage Note
Often used in business and legal contexts. A 'controlling interest' means owning enough shares to make decisions for the company. 'Conflict of interest' is a common fixed expression.
Common Mistakes
done to achieve or maintain a particular result or benefit
In the interest of public safety, the city council decided to close the old bridge.
In the interests of fairness, the teacher listened to both sides of the argument before deciding.
conflict of interest
idioma situation where a person's private interests could influence their professional decisions unfairly
The politician stepped down from the committee to avoid any conflict of interest.
The newspaper editor declared a conflict of interest because the story involved her cousin.
of interest
idiomworth paying attention to; important or relevant
The professor's latest research may be of interest to climate scientists around the world.
The police asked anyone with information of interest to come forward and speak to them.
person of interest
idiomsomeone the police want to talk to because they may be involved in a crime
The police named a former employee as a person of interest in the robbery investigation.
to do something to someone with more force or energy than they showed towards you
Her brother teased her, and she returned the favor with interest the next day.
to care about what is best for someone and act to help them
Kabir knew his grandmother had his best interests at heart when she advised him to study harder.
A situation where a person's personal or professional duties clash, making it hard to be fair to both sides.
Mina refused to judge the contest because of a conflict of interest.
The politician's business deal created a clear conflict of interest with her public role.
To truly care about someone's well-being and want them to succeed, even if it doesn't always show.
Diego knew his coach had his interests at heart despite the tough training.
Does the company really have its employees' interests at heart with this new policy?
interest — verb
1. to make someone want to give their attention to something or learn more about it
to make someone want to give their attention to something or learn more about it
The idea of living and working abroad interests Mia more than anything else.
abstract idea + interests + person
Pim tried to interest some wealthy investors in his new renewable energy technology.
interest + person + in + noun/gerund
Nothing interests Kabir more than solving complex mathematical puzzles in his spare time.
nothing + interests + person + more than
The biology teacher used a hands-on experiment to interest her students in marine science.
Jude's talk about ocean conservation interested everyone who attended the public lecture.
person's talk + interests + audience
- interest someone in
- what interests me
- nothing interests
- never interested
- bore
to make someone feel tired and uninterested
Grammar Patterns
something + interests + someone
interest + someone + in + noun/gerund
Usage Note
This verb is rarely used in progressive tenses (is interesting, was interesting). For the progressive form, the adjective 'interesting' is used instead. The pattern 'interest someone in something' means to persuade them to try or invest in it.
Common Mistakes
Word family
- interestedadjectiveA2
- interestingadjectiveA2
- interestinglyadverbB2
- uninterestedadjectiveB2
- disinterestedadjectiveC1
- disinterestnounC1
Synonym discussion
Sense: noun/1
Interest (noun/1) is the broadest term for the feeling of wanting to know or be involved. Curiosity is a stronger, more active desire to learn — you ask questions and investigate. For example, 'The child's curiosity about how clocks work led her to take one apart.' Concern adds a sense of worry or care to the mix: you take an interest because something matters to you personally. Fascination implies a powerfully absorbing interest that is hard to break away from — a scientist might have a fascination with how spiders build webs. Attention is more about the focus of the mind than the emotion behind it: you can pay attention to a lecture without being truly interested in it. Interest combines both the emotional pull and the mental focus, making it the most natural choice for everyday use.
Common collocations
Etymology
The word 'interest' comes from Latin 'interest', which literally means 'it is between' or 'it matters'. This was formed from 'inter-' (between) and 'esse' (to be). The Latin phrase 'interest' was used in legal contexts to mean 'it is of importance or concern.' Old French adopted it as 'interest' (later 'interest'), and English borrowed it in the 15th century. The financial sense (money paid for borrowing) developed in the 16th century from the idea of compensation for the inconvenience of lending. The sense of 'legal stake or share' also emerged from legal usage around the same time.