interest

interest — noun

1. your wish to learn more about a person, an idea, or an activity and stay engaged

1.名詞A2
釋義

your wish to learn more about a person, an idea, or an activity and stay engaged with it

例句

Tamar showed a keen interest in ancient history from a very young age.

show + interest + in + topic

The children listened to the museum guide with great interest.

with + interest (prepositional phrase)

同義詞
  • curiosity

    stronger desire to learn or know; more active and questioning

  • attention

    focus of the mind; less emotional than interest

  • fascination

    very strong interest that is hard to turn away from

  • concern

    interest mixed with worry or care

反義詞

文法句型

interest + in + noun/gerund

show/express/take + interest + in

用法筆記

Commonly used with verbs like show, express, take, have, lose, and spark. The preposition in usually follows.

常見錯誤

❌I have interest for soccer.
✅I have an interest in soccer.
💡The correct preposition is 'in', not 'for'.
❌I have a lot of interests on photography.
✅I have a great interest in photography.
💡Use 'interest in' for the feeling; 'interests' is for hobbies (sense 2).

2. the activities or subjects you enjoy doing or learning about in your free time

2.名詞A2
釋義

the activities or subjects you enjoy doing or learning about in your free time

例句

Defne's main interests include hiking, reading, and playing the piano.

list of interests using 'include'

When asked about his interests, Jude mentioned cooking and traveling.

同義詞
  • hobby

    an activity done regularly in one's leisure time for pleasure

  • pastime

    an activity that you do because you enjoy it

  • pursuit

    more formal; an activity you spend time doing

文法句型

interests + in + noun/gerund

have + interests + outside/beyond

用法筆記

Usually appears in the plural form (interests) when listing hobbies. The singular (interest) can also be used for a single activity.

常見錯誤

❌My hobbies and interests is reading.
✅My hobbies and interests are reading.
💡'Interests' is plural and takes a plural verb.

3. the power of something to draw your notice and keep you curious about it

3.名詞B1
釋義

the power of something to draw your notice and keep you curious about it

例句

The old town has a certain historical interest that draws visitors from abroad.

historical / cultural / scientific + interest

Élise found little interest in the lecture and struggled to stay awake through it.

find + little / no + interest + in

同義詞
  • appeal

    power to attract; often used for visual or emotional attraction

  • attraction

    something that draws attention; can be a physical feature

  • fascination

    a very strong power to hold attention

反義詞
  • dullness

    lack of interesting quality

  • tedium

    the quality of being boring and tiresome

文法句型

be of + interest + to + person

hold + interest + for + person

用法筆記

Often used in the phrase 'be of interest' followed by 'to'. This sense describes a property of something rather than a feeling in someone.

常見錯誤

❌This book is interest.
✅This book is of interest.' or 'This book is interesting.
💡You need 'of' before 'interest' or use the adjective 'interesting'.

4. something that helps you or gives you an advantage; the things that are good for

4.名詞B1
釋義

something that helps you or gives you an advantage; the things that are good for a particular person or group

例句

The lawyer acted in the best interests of her young client throughout the trial.

in the (best) interests of

It is in everyone's interest to keep the public park clean and safe for children.

in + possessive + interest

同義詞
  • benefit

    something that produces good results; more general

  • advantage

    something that puts you in a better position than others

  • well-being

    the state of being comfortable, healthy, or happy

  • welfare

    formal; the health, happiness, and prosperity of a person or group

反義詞
  • detriment

    formal; something that causes harm or damage

  • harm

    physical or mental damage; opposite of benefit

文法句型

in the + interests + of + noun

act in + possessive + (best) interests

用法筆記

Frequently appears in fixed phrases: 'in the interest(s) of', 'in someone's (best) interest', 'serve the interests of'. Often used in formal, business, or legal contexts.

常見錯誤

❌It's for your interesting.
✅It's in your interest.
💡The adjective 'interesting' cannot replace the noun 'interest' here.
❌I did it for my own interesting.
✅I did it for my own interests.
💡Use the noun form after prepositions.

5. a percentage-based fee that lenders add to borrowed money, and that you must pay

5.名詞B1
釋義

a percentage-based fee that lenders add to borrowed money, and that you must pay on top of the original amount

例句

The bank charges five percent interest on all personal loans.

interest + on + type of loan

Tamar paid off her credit card early to avoid paying high interest charges.

pay / avoid + interest (charges)

同義詞
  • borrowing cost

    the total cost of taking out a loan, including interest and fees

  • finance charge

    the total cost of credit, including interest and other fees

  • APR

    annual percentage rate; a standard measure of borrowing cost

文法句型

interest + on + loan/credit/mortgage

pay + interest

rate of + interest

用法筆記

Interest in this sense is the cost of borrowing. It is often discussed as a 'rate' (percentage). Distinguish from sense 6 (money earned on savings).

常見錯誤

❌I paid 5% interests on my loan.
✅I paid 5% interest on my loan.
💡'Interest' is uncountable when referring to money on loans or savings.
❌The interest of the loan is high.
✅The interest on the loan is high.
💡Use 'on' not 'of'.

6. the money added to your savings or investments by a bank, based on the amount yo

6.名詞B1
釋義

the money added to your savings or investments by a bank, based on the amount you have deposited

例句

Nia earns two percent interest each year on her savings account at the local bank.

earn + interest + on + account type

The money in the fixed deposit account will gradually accumulate interest over several years.

accumulate interest

同義詞
  • yield

    the amount of money earned on an investment, shown as a percentage

  • return

    the profit you make from an investment

  • dividend

    a share of profits paid to shareholders; different from interest

文法句型

earn + interest + on + savings/investment

interest + on + account

用法筆記

This sense overlaps with sense 5 in many contexts (both involve money and percentages). Distinguish by perspective: sense 5 is what YOU pay when borrowing; this sense is what the BANK pays you for saving or investing.

常見錯誤

❌I earned interests from my savings.
✅I earned interest on my savings.
💡Use 'on' for the source; 'interest' is uncountable.

7. a legal right to own part of a business or to receive some of its profits; a for

7.名詞B2
釋義

a legal right to own part of a business or to receive some of its profits; a formal connection to property or a company

例句

Defne purchased a controlling interest in the family business to secure her position.

controlling / majority / minority + interest + in

The corporation sold all its interests in several overseas properties last quarter.

sell + possessive + interests + in + properties

同義詞
  • stake

    a share or financial involvement in a business

  • shareholding

    the number of shares a person or organization owns in a company

  • equity

    the value of the shares issued by a company; ownership interest

文法句型

interest + in + company/property

have + an/controlling/majority + interest + in

用法筆記

Often used in business and legal contexts. A 'controlling interest' means owning enough shares to make decisions for the company. 'Conflict of interest' is a common fixed expression.

常見錯誤

❌She bought interest in the company.
✅She bought an interest in the company.
💡'Interest' in this sense typically requires an article when used countably.
❌He has interest on the property.
✅He has an interest in the property.
💡Use 'in' not 'on'.

interest — verb