noun
interest
IHN-trehst
noun
1
A feeling of wanting to know more about something or pay attention to it.
"She has always had an interest in astronomy."
"His interest in the project faded once the funding ran out."
2
Money charged or earned on a loan or savings, calculated as a percentage of the amount involved.
"The bank charges 6% interest on the loan."
"Her savings account earns a small amount of interest each month."
3
A stake, share, or legal claim in something, especially a business or property.
"He sold his interest in the company after the merger."
verb
1
To make someone want to know more about something or pay attention to it.
"The documentary interested him enough to read the whole book."
How to Use Interest
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishEither curiosity/attention toward something, the extra money paid on a loan or earned on savings, or a legal share/stake in something.
Common mistake
Don't confuse a financial "interest" (a stake or share) with everyday "interest" (curiosity) — both spellings are identical but the meanings are quite different.
Common pairings
show interest
earn interest
a vested interest
in the interest of
Word Forms
interested past tense, interests plural, interests singular
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She has always had an _____ in astronomy.
Etymology
From Old French interesse, from Latin interesse, literally "to be between, to matter."