interest

[In·ter*est]

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.

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To engage the attention of; to awaken interest in; to excite emotion or passion in, in behalf of a person or thing; as, the subject did not interest him; to interest one in charitable work.

Noun
a diversion that occupies one''s time and thoughts (usually pleasantly); "sailing is her favorite pastime"; "his main pastime is gambling"; "he counts reading among his interests"; "they criticized the boy for his limited pursuits"

Noun
a reason for wanting something done; "for your sake"; "died for the sake of his country"; "in the interest of safety"; "in the common interest"

Noun
the power of attracting or holding one''s interest (because it is unusual or exciting etc.); "they said nothing of great interest"; "primary colors can add interest to a room"

Noun
a sense of concern with and curiosity about someone or something; "an interest in music"

Noun
(usually plural) a social group whose members control some field of activity and who have common aims; "the iron interests stepped up production"

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Noun
(law) a right or legal share of something; a financial involvement with something; "they have interests all over the world"; "a stake in the company''s future"

Noun
a fixed charge for borrowing money; usually a percentage of the amount borrowed; "how much interest do you pay on your mortgage?"

Verb
excite the curiosity of; engage the interest of

Verb
be on the mind of; "I worry about the second Germanic consonant"

Verb
be of importance or consequence; "This matters to me!"

n.
To engage the attention of; to awaken interest in; to excite emotion or passion in, in behalf of a person or thing; as, the subject did not interest him; to interest one in charitable work.

n.
To be concerned with or engaged in; to affect; to concern; to excite; -- often used impersonally.

n.
To cause or permit to share.

n.
Excitement of feeling, whether pleasant or painful, accompanying special attention to some object; concern.

n.
Participation in advantage, profit, and responsibility; share; portion; part; as, an interest in a brewery; he has parted with his interest in the stocks.

n.
Advantage, personal or general; good, regarded as a selfish benefit; profit; benefit.

n.
Premium paid for the use of money, -- usually reckoned as a percentage; as, interest at five per cent per annum on ten thousand dollars.

n.
Any excess of advantage over and above an exact equivalent for what is given or rendered.

n.
The persons interested in any particular business or measure, taken collectively; as, the iron interest; the cotton interest.

Interest

In"ter*est , v. t. [imp. & p. p. Interested ; p. pr. & vb. n. Interesting.] [From interess'd, p. p. of the older form interess, fr. F. int'82resser, L. interesse. See Interest, n.] 1. To engage the attention of; to awaken interest in; to excite emotion or passion in, in behalf of a person or thing; as, the subject did not interest him; to interest one in charitable work.

To love our native country . . . to be interested in its concerns is natural to all men.

A goddess who used to interest herself in marriages.

2. To be concerned with or engaged in; to affect; to concern; to excite; -- often used impersonally. [Obs.]

Or rather, gracious sir, Create me to this glory, since my cause Doth interest this fair quarrel.

3. To cause or permit to share. [Obs.]

The mystical communion of all faithful men is such as maketh every one to be interested in those precious blessings which any one of them receiveth at God's hands.

Syn. -- To concern; excite; attract; entertain; engage; occupy; hold.

Interest

In"ter*est, n. [OF. interest, F. int'82r'88t, fr. L. interest it interests, is of interest, fr. interesse to be between, to be difference, to be importance; inter between + esse to be; cf. LL. interesse usury. See Essence.] 1. Excitement of feeling, whether pleasant or painful, accompanying special attention to some object; concern. &hand; Interest expresses mental excitement of various kinds and degrees. It may be intellectual, or sympathetic and emotional, or merely personal; as, an interest in philosophical research; an interest in human suffering; the interest which an avaricious man takes in money getting.

So much interest have I in thy sorrow.

2. Participation in advantage, profit, and responsibility; share; portion; part; as, an interest in a brewery; he has parted with his interest in the stocks. 3. Advantage, personal or general; good, regarded as a selfish benefit; profit; benefit.

Divisions hinder the common interest and public good.

When interest calls of all her sneaking train.

4. Premium paid for the use of money, -- usually reckoned as a percentage; as, interest at five per cent per annum on ten thousand dollars.

They have told their money, and let out Their coin upon large interest.

5. Any excess of advantage over and above an exact equivalent for what is given or rendered.

You shall have your desires with interest.

6. The persons interested in any particular business or measure, taken collectively; as, the iron interest; the cotton interest. Compound interest, interest, not only on the original principal, but also on unpaid interest from the time it fell due. -- Simple interest, interest on the principal sum without interest on overdue interest.

To engage the attention of; to awaken interest in; to excite emotion or passion in, in behalf of a person or thing; as, the subject did not interest him; to interest one in charitable work.

Excitement of feeling, whether pleasant or painful, accompanying special attention to some object; concern.

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Usage Examples

An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.

Any change is resisted because bureaucrats have a vested interest in the chaos in which they exist.

All stories interest me, and some haunt me until I end up writing them. Certain themes keep coming up: justice, loyalty, violence, death, political and social issues, freedom.

All interest in disease and death is only another expression of interest in life.

A formally recognized equality does, however, accord the smaller nations a position which they should be able to use increasingly in the interest of humanity as a whole and in the service of the ideal.

A government for the people must depend for its success on the intelligence, the morality, the justice, and the interest of the people themselves.

As an artist I have an even more abiding interest in the compact between the Arts and Government.

Misspelled Form

interest, uinterest, 8interest, 9interest, ointerest, jinterest, kinterest, unterest, 8nterest, 9nterest, onterest, jnterest, knterest, iunterest, i8nterest, i9nterest, ionterest, ijnterest, iknterest, ibnterest, ihnterest, ijnterest, imnterest, i nterest, ibterest, ihterest, ijterest, imterest, i terest, inbterest, inhterest, injterest, inmterest, in terest, inrterest, in5terest, in6terest, inyterest, ingterest, inrerest, in5erest, in6erest, inyerest, ingerest, intrerest, int5erest, int6erest, intyerest, intgerest, intwerest, int3erest, int4erest, intrerest, intserest, intderest, intwrest, int3rest, int4rest, intrrest, intsrest, intdrest, intewrest, inte3rest, inte4rest, interrest, intesrest, intedrest, inteerest, inte4rest, inte5rest, intetrest, intefrest, inteeest, inte4est, inte5est, intetest, intefest, intereest, inter4est, inter5est, intertest, interfest, interwest, inter3est, inter4est, interrest, intersest, interdest, interwst, inter3st, inter4st, interrst, intersst, interdst, interewst, intere3st, intere4st, intererst, interesst, interedst, intereast, interewst, intereest, interedst, interexst, interezst, intereat, interewt, intereet, interedt, interext, interezt, interesat, intereswt, intereset, interesdt, interesxt, intereszt, interesrt, interes5t, interes6t, interesyt, interesgt, interesr, interes5, interes6, interesy, interesg, interestr, interest5, interest6, interesty, interestg.

Other Usage Examples

A teacher must believe in the value and interest of his subject as a doctor believes in health.

As a woman, my style defines my leadership. It's a gentler, more compassionate approach. I consult, I listen and I compromise where it's in the best interest of the citizens.

A system of capitalism presumes sound money, not fiat money manipulated by a central bank. Capitalism cherishes voluntary contracts and interest rates that are determined by savings, not credit creation by a central bank.

As a boy, I'd always had an interest in theater. But the idea at my school was that drama and music were to round out the man. It wasn't what one did for a living. I got over that.

An election is coming. Universal peace is declared, and the foxes have a sincere interest in prolonging the lives of the poultry.

A relationship is lovely if you're happy, comfortable in it and you really like the person. I can think of nothing better. But there's nothing worse than having a relationship in which you feel no interest.

A lot of my friends are gangsters. Not like gangsters - well, yeah, all sorts of levels of criminality - but not the types that are preying on innocent people. I have no interest in the type of criminality that has no respect for collateral damage.