interest
Other forms: interesting; interests; interested
Interest is used most often to describe something you like, enjoy or think useful. You might have an interest in African literature, or you might follow the news with interest.
Although interest is used mainly to describe anything that is, well, interesting, it also is used in specific legal contexts. If you have an interest in a company, it means you own part of it. Interest is also the word used to describe money charged or given as part of a debt. If a bank loans you $10,000, you have to pay back the $10,000 plus the interest. If the interest rate is 5 percent annually, you would owe $500.
Definitions of interest
-
a sense of concern with and curiosity about someone or something“an interest in music”
-
synonyms:
involvement
-
types:
- show 9 types...
- hide 9 types...
-
enthusiasm
a lively interest
-
concern
something that interests you because it is important or affects you
-
Anglomania
an excessive enthusiasm for all things English
-
balletomania
extraordinary enthusiasm for ballets
-
earth, earthly concern, world, worldly concern
the concerns of this life as distinguished from heaven and the afterlife
-
affair, matter, thing
a matter or concern
-
affairs, personal business, personal matters
matters of personal concern
-
part
that which concerns a person with regard to a particular role or situation
-
point of honor
a concern that seriously reflects on your honor
-
the power of attracting or holding one's attention (because it is unusual or exciting etc.)“they said nothing of great interest”“primary colors can add interest to a room”
-
synonyms:
interestingness
-
Antonyms:
-
uninterestingness
inability to capture or hold one's interest
-
types:
- show 5 types...
- hide 5 types...
-
charisma, personal appeal, personal magnetism
a personal attractiveness or interestingness that enables you to influence others
-
news, newsworthiness
the quality of being sufficiently interesting to be reported in news bulletins
-
topicality
the attribute of being of interest at the present time
-
color, colour, vividness
interest and variety and intensity
-
shrillness
the quality of being sharp or harsh to the senses
-
type of:
-
power, powerfulness
possession of controlling influence
-
uninterestingness
-
a diversion that occupies one's time and thoughts (usually pleasantly)“he counts reading among his interests”
-
types:
-
avocation, by-line, hobby, pursuit, sideline, spare-time activity
an auxiliary activity
-
spelaeology, speleology
the pastime of exploring caves
-
type of:
-
diversion, recreation
an activity that diverts or amuses or stimulates
-
avocation, by-line, hobby, pursuit, sideline, spare-time activity
-
a reason for wanting something done
-
excite the curiosity of; engage the interest of
-
types:
- show 5 types...
- hide 5 types...
-
absorb, engage, engross, occupy
consume all of one's attention or time
-
fascinate, grip, spellbind, transfix
render motionless, as with a fixed stare or by arousing terror or awe
-
involve
occupy or engage the interest of
-
consume
engage fully
-
rivet
hold (someone's attention)
-
be on the mind of
-
be of importance or consequence to
-
a fixed charge for borrowing money; usually a percentage of the amount borrowed“how much interest do you pay on your mortgage?”
-
types:
-
compound interest
interest calculated on both the principal and the accrued interest
-
simple interest
interest paid on the principal alone
-
type of:
-
fixed charge, fixed cost, fixed costs
a periodic charge that does not vary with business volume (as insurance or rent or mortgage payments etc.)
-
compound interest
-
(law) a right or legal share of something; a financial involvement with something“they have interests all over the world”
-
synonyms:
stake
-
types:
- show 20 types...
- hide 20 types...
-
grubstake
funds advanced to a prospector or to someone starting a business in return for a share of the profits
-
controlling interest
ownership of more than 50% of a corporation's voting shares
-
insurable interest
an interest in a person or thing that will support the issuance of an insurance policy; an interest in the survival of the insured or in the preservation of the thing that is insured
-
vested interest
(law) an interest in which there is a fixed right to present or future enjoyment and that can be conveyed to another
-
security interest
any interest in a property that secures the payment of an obligation
-
terminable interest
an interest in property that terminates under specific conditions
-
undivided interest, undivided right
the interest in property owned by tenants whereby each tenant has an equal right to enjoy the entire property
-
fee
an interest in land capable of being inherited
-
equity
the ownership interest of shareholders in a corporation
-
reversion
(law) an interest in an estate that reverts to the grantor (or his heirs) at the end of some period (e.g., the death of the grantee)
-
right
(frequently plural) the interest possessed by law or custom in some intangible thing
-
fee simple
a fee without limitation to any class of heirs; they can sell it or give it away
-
fee tail
a fee limited to a particular line of heirs; they are not free to sell it or give it away
-
sweat equity
interest in a building that a tenant earns by contributing to its renovation or maintenance
-
escheat
a reversion to the state (as the ultimate owner of property) in the absence of legal heirs
-
pledge
a deposit of personal property as security for a debt
-
mortgage
a conditional conveyance of property as security for the repayment of a loan
-
conditional sale
a security interest taken by the seller in return for credit
-
collateral
a security pledged for the repayment of a loan
-
lien
the right to take another's property if an obligation is not discharged
-
type of:
-
part, percentage, portion, share
assets belonging to or due to or contributed by an individual person or group
-
(usually plural) a social group whose members control some field of activity and who have common aims“the iron interests stepped up production”
-
synonyms:
interest group
-
types:
-
special interest
an individual or group who are concerned with some particular part of the economy and who try to influence legislators or bureaucrats to act in their favor
-
vested interest
groups that seek to control a social system or activity from which they derive private benefit
-
military-industrial complex
a country's military establishment and the industries that produce arms and other military equipment
-
type of:
-
social group
people sharing some social relation
-
special interest
Pronunciation
US
/ˈɪntərəst/
UK
/ˈɪntrɛst/
Cite this entry
Style:
MLA
- MLA
- APA
- Chicago
Copy citation
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘interest'.
Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors.
Send us feedback
Word Family
EDITOR'S CHOICE
Look up interest for the last time
Close your vocabulary gaps with personalized learning that focuses on teaching the words you need to know.
