interest
gb/ˈɪntɚˌɛst/ us/ˈɪntɚˌɛst/
A2
English
~ 300
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A2
state
1
Curiosity or concern about something
The feeling of wanting to know or learn more about something.
Usage pattern:
[someone] has an interest in [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'interest' (noun) with 'interested' (adjective), e.g., saying 'I am interest' instead of 'I am interested'.
Synonyms
curiosity (Implies a desire to know without necessarily implying involvement.)
Antonyms
disinterest (Lack of curiosity or concern about something.)
Collocations
take an interest
|show interest
|express interest
|spark interest
|lose interest
Themes
emotions
|daily life
|education
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She has a strong interest in modern art.
- His interest in cooking began when he was a teenager.
- The teacher tried to spark the students' interest in science.
- I lost interest in the show after the second season.
- They expressed interest in buying the house.
Learner examples
- I have an interest in music.
- He shows interest in sports.
- She lost interest in the game.
- They have an interest in travel.
- We show interest in learning English.
Noun
B1
entity
2
Money paid for borrowing money
Extra money you pay when you borrow money, or earn when you save or invest money.
Usage pattern:
[someone] pays/earns interest on [amount]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'interest' in finance with 'interests' meaning hobbies. Context is important.
Synonyms
finance charge (More formal and technical term used in financial contexts.)
Antonyms
principal (The original amount of money borrowed or invested, without the added cost of borrowing.)
Collocations
pay interest
|earn interest
|high interest rate
|compound interest
|interest payment
Themes
business
|finance
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The bank charges 5% interest on the loan.
- You can earn more interest if you keep your money in this account.
- High interest rates make borrowing more expensive.
- He failed to pay the interest on time.
- They calculated the total interest over five years.
Learner examples
- The bank gives me interest on my savings.
- I pay interest on my car loan.
- This account has a high interest rate.
- We earn interest every month.
- She pays low interest on her mortgage.
Noun
B2
entity
3
Benefit or advantage gained by someone
Something that helps you or is good for you.
Usage pattern:
in [someone's] interest(s) to [do something]
Common mistake:
Confusing 'interests' (plural) with hobbies; here it means benefits or rights, not things you like doing.
Synonyms
benefit (General word for something good gained; less formal than 'interest' in this sense.)
Antonyms
disadvantage (Something that causes harm or makes a situation worse.)
Collocations
protect interests
|serve interests
|conflict of interest
|best interests
|vested interests
Themes
business
|law
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- It's in your best interests to take the job.
- The lawyer acted to protect her client's interests.
- He voted against the bill, saying it served special interests.
- They have a financial interest in the company.
- There was a clear conflict of interest in the decision.
Learner examples
- It is in my best interests to study hard.
- She works to protect her family's interests.
- He has an interest in the company.
- The lawyer acts for my interests.
- It is not in your interests to lie.
Verb
A2
action
4
To attract someone's attention or curiosity
To make someone want to know or learn more about something.
Usage pattern:
[something] interests [someone]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes incorrectly use 'interested' instead of 'interest' as a verb, e.g., 'It interested me' vs. 'It interests me'. The tense choice changes meaning.
Synonyms
engage (Often suggests holding someone's attention actively and for some time.)
Antonyms
bore (To make someone lose interest or feel tired of something.)
Collocations
really interest
|interest greatly
|interest deeply
Themes
emotions
|communication
|education
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- History doesn't really interest me.
- This topic might interest our readers.
- The idea of working abroad interests her greatly.
- What interests me is how they solved the problem.
- He tried to find a subject that would interest the children.
Learner examples
- Music interests me a lot.
- This book interests her.
- Sports do not interest him.
- Your story interests me.
- The movie interests us.
Grammar
Dictionary form
interest
IPA
GB/ˈɪntɚˌɛst/
US/ˈɪntɚˌɛst/
Syllables & stress
in - terest (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (in)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: interest
- Plural: interest, interests
Verb
- Base: interest
- 3rd Person Singular: interests
- Present Participle: interesting
- Past: interested
Word family
Forms
Related words
interestingly
adverb B2
Negative and opposite forms
uninterested
adjective B2
uninteresting
adjective B2
Expressions
best interests at heart
1/bˈɛst ˈɪntɚˌɛsts ˈæt hˈɑɹt/
idiom
Care about someone's benefit when deciding/acting
To make choices because you want what is good for someone else.
Examples
- I know she has my best interests at heart.
- He always acts with his team's best interests at heart.
in the interest of
1/ˈɪn ðə ˈɪntɚˌɛst əv/
fixed phrase
formal
For the purpose of benefiting something or someone
To do something to help or achieve a goal.
Examples
- In the interest of safety, please remain seated.
- They delayed the meeting in the interest of fairness.
lose interest (in)
1/lˈuz ˈɪntɚˌɛst ˈɪn/
fixed phrase
Stop being curious about something/someone
To stop wanting to know about or be part of something or someone.
Examples
- He lost interest in photography after college.
- Children can lose interest quickly if lessons are boring.
show interest (in)
1/ʃˈoʊ ˈɪntɚˌɛst ˈɪn/
fixed phrase
Display curiosity about something/someone
To act in a way that shows you want to know more about something or someone.
Examples
- She showed great interest in the project.
- Parents should show more interest in their children's education.
conflict of interest
1/kˈɑnflɪkt əv ˈɪntɚˌɛst/
fixed phrase
formal
personal interest affecting duty
When someone's personal needs or wants could affect how they do their job fairly.
Examples
- The judge resigned due to a conflict of interest.
- He declared his financial ties to avoid any conflict of interest.
conflict of interest
2/kˈɑnflɪkt əv ˈɪntɚˌɛst/
fixed phrase
Personal benefit clashes with duty
A situation where you could make a decision to help yourself instead of doing what is right for your job or role.
Examples
- Working for two competing companies could create a conflict of interest.
- He resigned to avoid any conflict of interest.