I.
noun
1 desire to learn/hear more about sb/sth
ADJECTIVE
▪ avid , close , considerable , consuming , deep , great , intense , keen , lively , passionate , real , strong
▪
The police were starting to take a close ~ in the company's activities.
▪
She always had a great ~ in the supernatural.
▪ particular , special
▪ growing , increased , increasing
▪ slightest
▪
He's never shown the slightest ~ in football.
▪ little
▪ general , widespread
▪ current
▪ worldwide
▪ shared
▪ serious
▪ genuine
▪ abiding , lifelong , long-standing
▪ passing
▪ sudden
▪
Why the sudden ~?
▪ renewed
▪ added
▪
The CD-ROM gives the book added ~.
▪ active
▪ polite
▪
He showed a polite ~ in her story.
▪ personal
▪ professional
▪ media
▪
The event attracted a lot of media ~.
▪ sexual
VERB + INTEREST
▪ have
▪ evince , express , show , take
▪
My cousin expressed an ~ in seeing where I work.
▪ feign
▪
She feigned ~ in a magazine article to avoid meeting the man's stare.
▪ lose
▪ arouse , attract , awaken , catch , create , draw , drum up , excite , generate , kindle , pique , spark , stimulate , stir up
▪
A sticker on a bag caught my ~.
▪
The government failed to drum up any public ~ in the referendum.
▪
A childhood trip to Europe sparked his lifelong ~ in history.
▪ develop
▪
While in prison he developed an ~ in art.
▪ increase
▪ keep , maintain , sustain
▪
The film kept my ~ throughout.
▪
The channel has failed to maintain ~ in its expensive new show.
▪ revive
INTEREST + VERB
▪ grow
▪ flag , wane
▪
The children's ~ began to flag after half an hour of the lesson.
PREPOSITION
▪ for ~ , out of ~
▪
I'm asking purely out of ~.
▪ with ~
▪
They listened with ~.
▪ ~ among
▪
to stimulate ~ among teachers
▪ ~ from
▪
growing ~ from younger members
▪ ~ in
▪
She took an active ~ in their welfare.
2 quality that attracts attention
ADJECTIVE
▪ great
▪ particular , special
▪
Her comments are of particular ~ to me.
▪ little
▪ immediate
▪
This information was of no immediate ~ to me.
▪ broad , general , wide
▪ architectural , artistic , historic , historical , scientific
▪ academic
▪
Since the championship has already been decided, this game is of purely academic ~.
▪ human
▪
a plot devoid of human ~
▪ love
▪
Angelina Jolie supplies the love ~ in the movie.
VERB + INTEREST
▪ be of
▪
His books are of no ~ to me at all.
▪ hold no
▪
Their conversation held no ~ for me.
▪ add
▪
Bushes that flower in winter will add ~ to your garden.
INTEREST + VERB
▪ lie in
▪
The ~ of the painting lies in its unusual use of light.
PREPOSITION
▪ of ~
▪
a building of great architectural ~
3 sth you enjoy doing/learning about
ADJECTIVE
▪ diverse , varied , wide , wide-ranging
▪ private
▪ shared
▪ outside
▪
He has many hobbies and outside ~s.
▪ main , primary
▪
My main research ~ is herbal medicine.
▪ artistic , musical , etc.
▪ research
VERB + INTEREST
▪ have
▪ share
▪ pursue
▪
He wanted time to pursue his many and varied musical ~s.
4 money earned from investments
ADJECTIVE
▪ annual , monthly , etc.
▪ compound , simple
▪ mortgage
VERB + INTEREST
▪ earn , receive
▪ pay
▪ charge
INTEREST + VERB
▪ accrue , bear
INTEREST + NOUN
▪ rate
▪ payment
▪ charge
PREPOSITION
▪ ~ on
▪
to pay ~ on a loan
PHRASES
▪ a rate of ~
▪
a mortgage with a fixed rate of ~
5 benefits that sth has for sb
ADJECTIVE
▪ best ~ ( esp. AmE ), best ~s
▪
It's not in your best ~s to let your boss know you're looking for a new job.
▪
I feel it is in everyone's best ~ if I step aside now.
▪ own , selfish
▪
You can't blame them for looking after their own ~s. ( esp. BrE )
▪ common , mutual , shared
▪ competing , conflicting , contradictory
▪ long-term , short-term
▪ narrow
▪
Protectionism often simply supports narrow vested ~s.
▪ direct
▪
Lawyers have a direct financial ~ in the outcome of the debate.
▪ paramount , vital
▪ powerful
▪ legitimate
▪ vested
▪ special ( esp. AmE )
▪
The views of special-interest groups are represented.
▪ national , public
▪ class , sectarian , sectional
▪ foreign , outside
▪ corporate , economic , financial , political , security , strategic , etc.
▪
issues of compelling strategic ~
VERB + INTEREST
▪ defend , guard , look after ( esp. BrE ), protect , safeguard
▪ act in , advance , champion , further , promote , serve
▪
He claimed to be acting in the public ~.
▪
This policy serves the ~s of the United States.
▪ represent
▪ act against , jeopardize , threaten
INTEREST + VERB
▪ lie in sth
▪ be at stake
INTEREST + NOUN
▪ group
▪
Various ~ groups have expressed their opposition to the policy.
PREPOSITION
▪ against sb/sth's ~
▪
The lawyer refused to act against his client's ~s.
▪ contrary to sb/sth's ~
▪
The union refused to support proposals that it saw as contrary to the ~s of its members.
▪ in sb/sth's ~ ( esp. AmE ), in sb/sth's ~s ( esp. BrE )
▪
Continuing such a policy is short-sighted and not in the ~ of consumers.
▪
New work practices were introduced in the ~s of efficiency.
▪ of ~
▪
We met to discuss matters of common ~.
▪ out of ~
▪
He was obviously acting purely out of selfish ~.
PHRASES
▪ a conflict of ~ , a conflict of ~s ( esp. BrE )
▪
One member of the planning committee had a conflict of ~ as he lived near the proposed road.
▪ have sb's ~s at heart
▪
Although he was sometimes too strict with his children, he had their best ~s at heart.
6 legal right to share in profits
ADJECTIVE
▪ powerful
▪ controlling , majority
▪ minority
▪ joint
▪ banking , business , commercial , shipping
VERB + INTEREST
▪ have
▪
He has controlling ~s in several ventures.
▪ sell
PREPOSITION
▪ ~ in
II.
verb
ADVERB
▪ greatly , particularly , really , very much
▪
It is this aspect of the work that really ~s me.
VERB + INTEREST
▪ try to
▪
She tried to ~ the director in her plan.
Interest is used with these nouns as the object: ↑ buyer