- interest
- [[t]ɪ̱ntrəst, -tərest[/t]]
♦interests, interesting, interested1) N-UNCOUNT: also a N If you have an interest in something, you want to learn or hear more about it.
There has been a lively interest in the elections in the last two weeks...
His parents tried to discourage his interest in music, but he persisted...
She'd liked him at first, but soon lost interest...
Food was of no interest to her at all.
2) N-COUNT Your interests are the things that you enjoy doing.Encourage your child in her interests and hobbies even if they're things that you know little about...
He developed a wide range of sporting interests as a pupil at Millfield.
3) VERB If something interests you, it attracts your attention so that you want to learn or hear more about it or continue doing it.[V n] That passage interested me because it seems to parallel very closely what you're doing in the novel...
[it V n to-inf] It may interest you to know that Miss Woods, the housekeeper, witnessed the attack.
4) VERB If you are trying to persuade someone to buy or do something, you can say that you are trying to interest them in it.[V n in n/-ing] In the meantime I can't interest you in a new car, I suppose?...
[V n in n/-ing] The group wasn't able to interest them in reproducing literature specifically for women.
5) N-COUNT: usu pl, usu in N with poss If something is in the interests of a particular person or group, it will benefit them in some way.Did those directors act in the best interests of their club?...
The social worker would try to get her to see she was acting against the boy's interests.
6) N-COUNT: usu pl, supp N You can use interests to refer to groups of people who you think use their power or money to benefit themselves.The government accused unnamed `foreign interests' of inciting the trouble...
He resigned as finance minister only weeks before the election and stood against big-business interests.
7) N-COUNT: usu with supp A person or organization that has interests in a company or in a particular type of business owns shares in this company or this type of business.Her other business interests include a theme park in Scandinavia and hotels in the West Country.
...the Hatch family, who controlled large dairy interests...
Disney will retain a 51 percent controlling interest in the venture.
Syn:8) N-COUNT: usu N in n/-ing If a person, country, or organization has an interest in a possible event or situation, they want that event or situation to happen because they are likely to benefit from it.The West has an interest in promoting democratic forces in Eastern Europe...
Domestic consumers of petroleum products have an interest in a secure source of petroleum products.
9) N-UNCOUNT: oft N n Interest is extra money that you receive if you have invested a sum of money. Interest is also the extra money that you pay if you have borrowed money or are buying something on credit.Does your current account pay interest?...
This is an important step toward lower interest rates.
10) → See also , interesting, , self-interest, vested interest11) PHRASE: N inflects, PHR n If you do something in the interests of a particular result or situation, you do it in order to achieve that result or maintain that situation....a call for all businessmen to work together in the interests of national stability.
English dictionary. 2008.
