INTEREST
pastime, interest, pursuit
(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”
sake, interest
(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”
interest, interestingness
(noun) the power of attracting or holding one’s attention (because it is unusual or exciting etc.); “they said nothing of great interest”; “primary colors can add interest to a room”
interest, involvement
(noun) a sense of concern with and curiosity about someone or something; “an interest in music”
interest, interest group
(noun) (usually plural) a social group whose members control some field of activity and who have common aims; “the iron interests stepped up production”
interest, stake
(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”
interest
(noun) a fixed charge for borrowing money; usually a percentage of the amount borrowed; “how much interest do you pay on your mortgage?”
interest
(verb) excite the curiosity of; engage the interest of
concern, interest, occupy, worry
(verb) be on the mind of; “I worry about the second Germanic consonant shift”
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology
Noun
interest (usually uncountable, plural interests)
(uncountable, finance) The price paid for obtaining, or price received for providing, money or goods in a credit transaction, calculated as a fraction of the amount or value of what was borrowed. [from earlier 16th c.]
(uncountable, finance) Any excess over and above an exact equivalent
(uncountable) A great attention and concern from someone or something; intellectual curiosity. [from later 18th c.]
(uncountable) Attention that is given to or received from someone or something.
(countable) An involvement, claim, right, share, stake in or link with a financial, business, or other undertaking or endeavor.
(countable) Something or someone one is interested in.
(uncountable) Condition or quality of exciting concern or being of importance
(obsolete, rare) Injury, or compensation for injury; damages.
(usually, in the plural) The persons interested in any particular business or measure, taken collectively.
Synonyms
• (fraction of the amount or value of what was borrowed): cost of money, oker
Hyponyms
(Financial terms):
• accrued interest
• beneficial interest
• capitalized interest
• carried interest
• compound interest
• consumer interest
• controlling interest
• exact interest
• imputed interest
• insurable interest
• minority interest
• nominee interest
• open interest
• ordinary interest
• prepaid interest
• security interest
• short interest
• simple interest
• true interest cost
• unearned interest
(Non-financial terms):
• future interest
• human interest
• legal interest
• life interest
• love interest
• marine interest
• place of interest
• public interest
• royalty interest
• self-interest
• special interest
• terminable interest
• undivided interest
• vested interest
• working interest
Verb
interest (third-person singular simple present interests, present participle interesting, simple past and past participle interested)
To engage the attention of; to awaken interest in; to excite emotion or passion in, in behalf of a person or thing.
(obsolete, often impersonal) To be concerned with or engaged in; to affect; to concern; to excite.
(obsolete) To cause or permit to share.
Antonyms
• bore
• disinterest
Anagrams
• Steinert, ernstite, inertest, insetter, interset, sternite, tres-tine, trientes
Source: Wiktionary
In"ter*est, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Interested; p. pr. & vb. n.
Interesting.] Etym: [From interess'd, p. p. of the older form
interess, fr. F. intéresser, 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. Dryden.
A goddess who used to interest herself in marriages. Addison.
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. Ford.
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. Hooker.
Syn.
– To concern; excite; attract; entertain; engage; occupy; hold.
In"ter*est, n. Etym: [OF. interest, F. intérêt, 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.
Note: 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. Shak.
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. Sir W. Temple.
When interest calls of all her sneaking train. Pope.
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. Shak.
5. Any excess of advantage over and above an exact equivalent for
what is given or rendered.
You shall have your desires with interest. Shak.
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.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition