interesting
interesting Lexical Profile
interesting Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Arousing curiosity or attention; holding or catching the attention of someone.
"The professor gave an interesting lecture on the architectural history of ancient Rome."
Word Nuance & Usage
Learners often confuse 'interesting' (which describes the thing that causes curiosity, e.g., 'an interesting book') with 'interested' (which describes how a person feels, e.g., 'she is interested in history'). Additionally, in conversational English, 'interesting' can be used ironically or diplomatically as a polite euphemism to avoid criticizing something unusual or unappealing.
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Formed in the 18th century as a participial adjective from the verb 'interest', which ultimately derives from Latin 'interesse', meaning 'to differ, be important, or concern' (from 'inter-', meaning 'between', and 'esse', meaning 'to be').