Interested

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈɪntəɹɪstɪd/

Definitions

1. Feeling a curiosity or concern for a specific topic or event prompts a desire to learn or become involved in that area
2. Experiencing a desire to know more about a subject or activity
3. Having one's attention drawn to a particular matter or event due to personal engagement

Etymology: Anyone who has ever been "interested" in something has, without knowing it, taken part in a Latin sentence about being present. The Latin verb "interesse" literally meant "to be between" or "to be in the midst of," and from there it came to mean "to make a difference" or "to concern." Medieval Latin users turned that idea into a noun, and the English "interest" arrived in Middle English from Old French, where "interesse" and "interest" were already in circulation. The sense of concern or stake in something carried over, so to be interested was originally to have a stake in a matter. The shift from financial or personal stake to curiosity happened gradually over centuries. Having a concern in something eventually gave way to attention and enthusiasm for it, which is the sense the adjective carries today. The participle form "interested" therefore describes a person who has been drawn into a subject, much as a person with a stake in a deal has been drawn into its outcome.

Synonyms: intrigued, engaged, curious, fascinated, absorbed

Antonyms: disinterested, indifferent, uninterested, apathetic, bored