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Meaning & use

sincere interest

phrase·Everyday

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UK/sɪnˌsɪə ˈɪntrəst/
US/sɪnˌsɪr ˈɪntrəst/

Meanings

  1. phrasefixed phrase

    A real and honest wish to know about or help someone or something.

    Grammar: Used as a noun phrase, often after 'have' or 'show', or after 'a' or 'no'.

    Patterns

    • have a sincere interest in something
    • show a sincere interest in someone
    • a sincere interest in doing something

    She showed a sincere interest in my research and asked thoughtful questions.

    He has a sincere interest in helping the new students settle in.

    Their sincere interest in the project made everyone feel valued.

  2. phrasefixed phrase

    A genuine curiosity or concern that is not pretended or done just to be polite.

    Grammar: Often used to contrast with a false or formal interest, e.g. 'not just polite interest'.

    Patterns

    • out of sincere interest
    • with sincere interest
    • genuine and sincere interest

    I asked about her family out of sincere interest, not just to make conversation.

    The teacher listened with sincere interest to every student's story.

    His questions came from a sincere interest in the subject.

Common combinations

show sincere interest
The manager showed sincere interest in our ideas.
have a sincere interest in
She has a sincere interest in environmental science.
express sincere interest
He expressed sincere interest in joining the team.
genuine and sincere interest
Their genuine and sincere interest won our trust.
out of sincere interest
I asked out of sincere interest, not nosiness.

Synonyms and how they differ

genuine interest
Very close in meaning, but 'genuine' stresses that something is real rather than fake, while 'sincere' stresses honest feeling.
real interest
More informal and direct; 'sincere interest' sounds warmer and a little more formal.
heartfelt interest
Stronger and more emotional; use it when the feeling is deeply felt, not just honest.

Opposites

feigned interestpretended interest

Word family

sincerely adverb
In an honest and genuine way.
sincerity noun
The quality of being honest and genuine.
insincere adjective
Not honest or genuine; pretending feelings.
interested adjective
Wanting to know more about something.

Commonly confused: sincere interest or interested?

sincere interest vs interested

This is an adjective describing a person ('I am interested'), while 'sincere interest' is a noun phrase naming the feeling itself.

Practice

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