interest
noun OPAL WOPAL S
/ˈɪntrəst/, /ˈɪntrest/
/ˈɪntrəst/, /ˈɪntrest/
Idioms - [uncountable, singular] the feeling that you have when you want to know or learn more about somebody/something
- Her research has generated interest around the world.
- The case has attracted the interest of the public and media.
- interest in something Do your parents take an interest in your friends?
- By that time I had lost (all) interest in the idea.
- Many people have contacted me expressing interest in the idea.
- A small number of investors have shown an interest.
- He showed a keen interest in music from his childhood.
- They shared a common interest in horses.
- interest in doing something I have no interest in seeing the movie.
- with interest I watched with interest.
- out of interest Just out of interest, how much did it cost?
- As a matter of interest (= I'd like to know), what time did the party finish?
- A sticker on a bag caught my interest.
Extra ExamplesTopics Feelingsa1- A childhood trip to Europe sparked his lifelong interest in history.
- Despite intensive publicity, Channel 4 failed to maintain interest in its expensive new show.
- He showed a polite interest in her story.
- He's never shown the slightest interest in football.
- I'll watch the programme with added interest now I know you're in it.
- I'm asking purely out of interest.
- My cousin expressed an interest in seeing where I work.
- She always had a great interest in the supernatural.
- She feigned interest in a magazine article to avoid meeting the man's stare.
- She took an active interest in their welfare.
- The children's interest began to flag after half an hour of the lesson.
- The event attracted a lot of media interest.
- The film kept my interest throughout.
- The government failed to drum up any public interest in the referendum.
- The police were starting to take a close interest in the company's activities.
- They listened with interest.
- While in prison he developed an interest in art.
- Why the sudden interest?
- growing interest from younger members
- to stimulate interest among teachers
- Does she take an interest in your research?
- He showed no more than a passing interest in the sport.
- I told him about it but he showed no interest.
- Several people expressed an interest in learning the game.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- avid
- close
- considerable
- …
- have
- evince
- express
- …
- grow
- flag
- wane
- …
- for interest
- out of interest
- with interest
- …
- [uncountable] the quality that something has when it attracts somebody’s attention or makes them want to know more about it
- There are many places of interest near the city.
- These plants will add interest to your garden in winter.
- be of interest These documents are of great historical interest.
- The area is a site of special scientific interest.
- This is a story of national interest.
- be of interest to somebody The subject is of no interest to me at all.
- interest for somebody This museum holds particular interest for geologists.
Extra Examples- His books have a special interest for me.
- We met to discuss matters of common interest.
- a building of great architectural interest
- issues of compelling strategic interest
- This information was of no immediate interest to me.
- Their conversation held no interest for me.
- The interest of the painting lies in its unusual use of colour.
- The CD-ROM gives the book added interest.
- Since the championship has already been decided, this game is of purely academic interest.
- His books are of no interest to me at all.
- Her comments are of particular interest to me.
- There are many places of interest around Oxford.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- great
- particular
- special
- …
- be of
- hold no
- add
- …
- lie in
- of interest
- [countable] an activity or a subject that you enjoy and that you spend time doing or studying
- Her main interests are music and tennis.
- He was a man of wide interests outside his work.
- My main research interest is herbal medicine.
- In the end, she left the company to pursue other interests.
Synonyms interestinterestcompare hobby- hobby
- game
- pastime
- interest an activity or a subject that you do or study for pleasure in your spare time:
- Her main interests are music and gardening.
- hobby an activity that you do for pleasure in your spare time:
- His hobbies include swimming and cooking.
- game a children’s activity when they play with toys, pretend to be somebody else, etc.; an activity that you do to have fun:
- a game of cops and robbers
- He was playing games with the dog.
- pastime an activity that people do for pleasure in their spare time:
- Eating out is the national pastime in France.
- a popular interest/hobby/pastime
- to have/share interests/hobbies
- to take up/pursue a(n) interest/hobby
Extra ExamplesTopics Hobbiesa1- He has many hobbies and outside interests.
- He wanted time to pursue his many and varied musical interests.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- diverse
- varied
- wide
- …
- have
- share
- pursue
- …
- [uncountable] (finance) the extra money that you pay back when you borrow money or that you receive when you invest money
- interest on something to pay interest on a loan
- with interest The money was repaid with interest.
- interest charges/payments
- Interest rates have risen by 1%.
- high rates of interest
Wordfinder- account
- balance
- bank
- credit
- debit
- deposit
- interest
- loan
- statement
- withdrawal
Wordfinder- asset
- bond
- capital
- dividend
- equity
- fund
- interest
- invest
- portfolio
- share
Wordfinder- credit
- debt
- deposit
- interest
- lend
- loan
- money
- mortgage
- overdraft
- risk
Extra ExamplesTopics Moneyb1- They're paying 16% interest on the loan.
- The Gold Account pays monthly interest of 5.5%.
- Find a bank that has very low interest charges on overdrafts.
- a mortgage with a fixed rate of interest
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- annual
- monthly
- etc.
- …
- earn
- receive
- pay
- …
- accrue
- bear
- rate
- payment
- charge
- …
- interest on
- a rate of interest
- [countable, usually plural, uncountable] a good result or an advantage for somebody/something
- The union is working to protect the interests of its members.
- to promote/defend somebody's interests
- Tough talk doesn't always serve your interests.
- I was voted in to represent the interests of my constituents.
- You can't blame them for looking after their own interests.
- in somebody's interest(s) She was acting entirely in her own interests.
- These reforms were in the best interests of local government.
- It is in the public interest that these facts are made known.
- against somebody's interests The policy is clearly working against the interests of consumers.
- It is crucial to our national interest to keep stability in the region.
Extra Examples- Continuing such a policy is short-sighted and not in the interest of consumers.
- It's not in your best interests to let your boss know you're looking for a new job.
- He claimed to be acting in the public interest.
- I feel it is in everyone's best interest if I step aside now.
- He was obviously acting purely out of selfish interest.
- The lawyer refused to act against his client's interests.
- The union refused to support proposals that it saw as contrary to the interests of its members.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- best interest
- best interests
- own
- …
- defend
- guard
- look after
- …
- lie in something
- be at stake
- group
- against somebody’s/something’s interest
- contrary to somebody’s/something’s interest
- in somebody’s/something’s interest
- …
- a conflict of interest
- a conflict of interests
- have somebody’s interests at heart
- …
- [countable, usually plural] interest (in something) a share in a business or company and its profits
- She has business interests in France.
- American interests in Europe (= money invested in European countries)
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- powerful
- controlling
- majority
- …
- have
- sell
- interest in
- [countable, uncountable] a connection with something that affects your attitude to it, especially because you may benefit from it in some way
- I should, at this point, declare my interest.
- interest in (doing) something Organizations have an interest in ensuring that employee motivation is high.
- Lawyers have a direct financial interest in the outcome of the debate.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- best interest
- best interests
- own
- …
- defend
- guard
- look after
- …
- lie in something
- be at stake
- group
- against somebody’s/something’s interest
- contrary to somebody’s/something’s interest
- in somebody’s/something’s interest
- …
- a conflict of interest
- a conflict of interests
- have somebody’s interests at heart
- …
- [countable, usually plural] a group of people who are in the same business or who share the same aims that they want to protect
- powerful farming interests
- relationships between local government and business interests
wanting to know more
attraction
hobby
money
advantage
share in business
connection
group of people
Word Originlate Middle English (originally as interess): from Anglo-Norman French interesse, from Latin interesse ‘differ, be important’, from inter- ‘between’ + esse ‘be’. The -t was added partly by association with Old French interest ‘damage, loss’, apparently from Latin interest ‘it is important’. The original sense was ‘the possession of a share in or a right to something’; hence sense (6). Sense (1) and the verb arose in the 18th cent. Sense (4) was influenced by medieval Latin interesse ‘compensation for a debtor's defaulting’.
Idioms
conflict of interest(s)
- a situation in which somebody has two jobs, aims, roles, etc. and cannot treat both of them equally and fairly at the same time
- There was a conflict of interest between his business dealings and his political activities.
- One member of the planning committee had a conflict of interest as he lived near the proposed road.
- There is often a conflict of interests between farmers and conservationists.
do something (back) with interest
- to do the same thing to somebody as they have done to you, but with more force, enthusiasm, etc.
have somebody’s interests at heart
- to want somebody to be happy and successful even though your actions may not show this
- Although he was sometimes too strict with his children, he had their best interests at heart.
in the interest(s) of something
- in order to help or achieve something
- New work practices were introduced in the interests of efficiency.