interest

Meanings

1. 1noununcountable

   A feeling of curiosity that makes you want to learn about something or take part in it.

   Grammar: Often followed by in: an interest in music, show interest in the offer.

   Patterns

   • interest in something
   • show interest in something
   • take an interest in something
   • lose interest

   She has a deep interest in marine biology.

   The children lost interest in the game after ten minutes.

   His teacher took a personal interest in his progress.

2. 2nouncountable

   An activity or subject that someone enjoys spending time on.

   Grammar: Countable: her interests include chess and hiking.

   Patterns

   • interests include something
   • a range of interests

   My main interests are cooking and photography.

   The club welcomes people with different interests.

   Please list your hobbies and interests on the form.

3. 3noununcountablefinance

   Money paid for the use of borrowed money, or earned on savings, calculated as a percentage of the amount.

   Grammar: Uncountable and often followed by on: interest on a loan.

   Patterns

   • interest on something
   • pay interest
   • earn interest
   • interest rate

   The bank charges ten percent interest on the loan.

   Your savings earn very little interest in this account.

   They paid off the debt, including all the interest.

4. 4nouncountablebusinesslegal

   A legal share or stake in a business, property or outcome.

   Grammar: Countable and usually followed by in: a financial interest in the firm.

   Patterns

   • an interest in something
   • a controlling interest
   • have an interest in something

   She holds a controlling interest in the family company.

   The judge declared he had no personal interest in the case.

   Investors with a large interest in the project attended the meeting.

5. 5nounusually plural

   Benefit or advantage, or the thing that is good for a person or group.

   Grammar: Often plural or in a fixed phrase: in the interests of safety.

   Patterns

   • in the interest of something
   • in someone's interest
   • protect someone's interests

   The union fights for the interests of its members.

   In the interest of fairness, everyone will get a turn.

   It is in your interest to read the contract carefully.

Word forms

Common combinations

show interest

Several buyers showed interest in the old house.

lose interest

Viewers lose interest if the story drags.

interest rate

The central bank raised the interest rate again.

a conflict of interest

Owning shares in the rival firm creates a conflict of interest.

in the public interest

The report was published in the public interest.

compound interest

Compound interest makes savings grow faster over time.

Synonyms and how they differ

curiosity

Curiosity is the urge to find out something specific, while interest can be a lasting enthusiasm for a whole subject.

hobby

A hobby is an activity done for pleasure in free time, whereas an interest can also be purely mental, like an interest in history.

stake

Stake means a share with something to win or lose and fits money and risk, while interest in the legal sense is broader.

benefit

Benefit means a good result for someone, but interest in the phrase in your interest points to what is advantageous for them.

Opposites

Word family

interested adjective

feeling curiosity or concern

interesting adjective

holding your attention

interestingly adverb

used to introduce a surprising or notable fact

disinterest noun

lack of concern, or impartiality

uninterested adjective

not curious or concerned

Commonly confused: interest or disinterested?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “interest”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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