Interested-Interesting | Commonly Confused Words
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Master confusing words with ease

Interested vs. Interesting

Interested

/ˈɪntrəstəd/
Showing curiosity or desire to learn more about something.

Examples:

He was not a bit interested.'Indeed!' said Nicholas, not much interested in the intelligence.The governor and his friends are only interested in money.

Synonyms:

Antonyms:

Interesting

/ˈɪntrəstɪŋ/
Causing curiosity or holding attention; unusual or exciting.

Examples:

'I have made some interesting notes.It is too interesting a case to be lost sight of."This is all very interesting,' said Dr Gerard to himself.

Synonyms:

Antonyms:

Ways to tell them apart:

etymology
  • Interested describes a feeling someone has; it ends in -ed, like other past participles that describe feelings (e.g., bored, excited).
  • Interesting refers to something that causes interest in others; it ends in -ing, like other adjectives used for describing things that elicit emotions (e.g., exciting, boring).
  • Remember, if its about how someone feels, use interested. If its about how something affects others, use interesting.
  • If you are engaged by something, you are interested. If something captures or holds attention, it is interesting.
  • To decide which to use, think about the subject: Are you describing someones feelings or an objects effect?
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