French word

intérêt

Pronunciation

IPA/ɛ̃teʁɛ/

Meaning

  • masculine nouninterest

Example

J'ai beaucoup d'intérêt pour la musique.

I have a great deal of interest in music.

Illustration for intérêt (interest)

More examples

Le film a suscité un vif intérêt.

The film aroused strong interest.

Core concept

Attention and curiosity gathered around one chosen subject.

Common phrases

  • manque d'intérêt

    absence of interest

  • avoir de l'intérêt pour

    to have an interest in

Similar words

curiosité: A desire to discover what is not yet known.
goût: A liking for a particular thing or activity.
passion: An intense love of something that inspires complete involvement.
attention: Focused concentration on something.

Definition in French

Sentiment d'attention ou de curiosité porté envers une chose, une personne ou un sujet.

Word origin

Intérêt developed through Old French from Latin interesse, meaning 'to be between' and later 'to matter', before acquiring the sense of concern or attention.

Usage tips

  • The noun is masculine, giving un intérêt, while the related verb uses s'intéresser à quelque chose.

Other meanings

  • advantagenoun

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word