This word confusion Interested versus Interesting both have interest (noun and a verb) as their root word.
Interested is all about a person who has a feeling of wanting to learn more about something.
Interesting describes the thing that makes someone feel interested.
In other words, you feel interested in something because that thing is interesting.
Word Confusions . . .
. . . started as my way of dealing with a professional frustration with properly spelled words that were out of context in manuscripts I was editing as well as books I was reviewing. It evolved into a sharing of information with y’all. I’m hoping you’ll share with us words that have been a bête noir for you from either end.
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| Interested | Interesting |
|---|---|
Boy is Interested, Moscow, Russia, by Evgenly Isaev is under the CC BY 2.0 license, via Wikimedia Commons. |
Very Interesting Tree by Anthony Rauscher is under the CC0 1.0 license, via PublicDomainPictures.net. |
| Part of Grammar: | |
| Adjective | Adverb |
Showing curiosity or concern about something or someone
[Attrib.] Having an interest or involvement
Influenced by personal or selfish motives Participating
|
In a way that arouses curiosity or interest
Engaging or exciting and holding the attention or curiosity |
| Examples: | |
| I had always been interested in history.
We are seeking views from all interested parties. For anyone interested, we’ll meet at noon. She was an interested witness. I’d be interested to learn more about his background. |
It was an interesting debate.
It will be very interesting to see what they come up with. Mmm, he has an interesting face. |
| Derivatives: | |
| Adjective: interest-bearing, interest-free, overinterested Adverb: interestedly, overinterestedly Noun: interest, interestedness Verb: interest, interested |
Adjective: uninteresting Adverb: interestingly, uninterestingly Noun: interestingness Verb: interest, interesting |
| History of the Word: | |
| First used in 1655–65; interest + -ed | First recorded in 1705–15; interest + -ing |
C’mon, get it out of your system, bitch, whine, moan . . . which words are your pet peeves? Also, please note that I try to be as accurate as I can, but mistakes happen or I miss something. Email me if you find errors, so I can fix them . . . and we’ll all benefit!
Satisfy your curiosity about other Word Confusions on its homepage or more generally explore the index of self-editing posts. You may also want to explore Book Layout & Formatting Ideas, Formatting Tips, Grammar Explanations, Linguistics, Publishing Tips, the Properly Punctuated, Writing Ideas and Resources, and Working Your Website.
Resources for Interested versus Interesting
Apple Dictionary.com
Dictionary.com: interested, interesting
“What is the Difference Between ‘Interested’ and ‘Interesting’?” The Britannica Dictionary. n.d. Web. 15 June 2022. <https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/eb/qa/what-is-the-difference-between-interested-and-interesting>.
Pinterest Photo Credits:
Summer Reading is in the public domain, via PxHere.
