{
    "term": "interest",
    "partOfSpeech": "noun",
    "ox3000": true,
    "cefr": "a1",
    "definitions": [
        {
            "senseNumber": 1,
            "definition": "the feeling that you have when you want to know or learn more about somebody/something",
            "sensetop": "interest in somethinginterest in doing somethingwith interestout of interest",
            "cefr": "a1",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "Her research has **generated interest** around the world."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The case has **attracted the interest** of the public and media."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Do your parents **take an interest in** your friends?",
                    "contextForm": "interest in something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "By that time I had **lost (all) interest** in the idea."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Many people have contacted me **expressing interest** in the idea."
                },
                {
                    "text": "A small number of investors have **shown an interest**."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He showed a **keen interest** in music from his childhood."
                },
                {
                    "text": "They shared a common interest in horses."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I **have no interest** in seeing the movie.",
                    "contextForm": "interest in doing something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "I watched with interest.",
                    "contextForm": "with interest"
                },
                {
                    "text": "**Just out of interest**, how much did it cost?",
                    "contextForm": "out of interest"
                },
                {
                    "text": "**As a matter of interest** *(= I'd like to know)*, what time did the party finish?"
                },
                {
                    "text": "A sticker on a bag **caught my interest**."
                },
                {
                    "text": "A childhood trip to Europe sparked his lifelong interest in history."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Despite intensive publicity, Channel 4 failed to maintain interest in its expensive new show."
                },
                {
                    "text": "She showed a polite interest in his story."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He's never shown the slightest interest in football."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I'll watch the programme with added interest now I know you're in it."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I'm asking purely out of interest."
                },
                {
                    "text": "My cousin expressed an interest in seeing where I work."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He always had a great interest in the supernatural."
                },
                {
                    "text": "She feigned interest in a magazine article to avoid meeting the man's stare."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He took an active interest in their welfare."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The children's interest began to flag after half an hour of the lesson."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The event attracted a lot of media interest."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The film kept my interest throughout."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The government failed to drum up any public interest in the referendum."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The police were starting to take a close interest in the company's activities."
                },
                {
                    "text": "They listened with interest."
                },
                {
                    "text": "While in prison he developed an interest in art."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Why the sudden interest?"
                },
                {
                    "text": "growing interest from younger members"
                },
                {
                    "text": "to stimulate interest among teachers"
                },
                {
                    "text": "Does she take an interest in your research?"
                },
                {
                    "text": "He showed no more than a passing interest in the sport."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I told him about it but he showed no interest."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Several people expressed an interest in learning the game."
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["Feelings"],
            "collocations": {
                "adjective": ["avid", "close", "considerable"],
                "verb + interest": ["have", "evince", "express"],
                "interest + verb": ["grow", "flag", "wane"],
                "preposition": ["for interest", "out of interest", "with interest"]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 2,
            "definition": "the quality that something has when it attracts somebody’s attention or makes them want to know more about it",
            "sensetop": "be of interestbe of interest to somebodyinterest for somebody",
            "cefr": "a1",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "There are many **places of interest** near the city."
                },
                {
                    "text": "These plants will add interest to your garden in winter."
                },
                {
                    "text": "These documents are of great historical interest.",
                    "contextForm": "be of interest"
                },
                {
                    "text": "The area is a site of **special** scientific **interest**."
                },
                {
                    "text": "This is a story of national interest."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The subject is **of no interest** to me at all.",
                    "contextForm": "be of interest to somebody"
                },
                {
                    "text": "This museum holds particular interest for geologists.",
                    "contextForm": "interest for somebody"
                },
                {
                    "text": "His books have a special interest for me."
                },
                {
                    "text": "We met to discuss matters of common interest."
                },
                {
                    "text": "a building of great architectural interest"
                },
                {
                    "text": "issues of compelling strategic interest"
                },
                {
                    "text": "This information was of no immediate interest to me."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Their conversation held no interest for me."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The interest of the painting lies in its unusual use of colour."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The illustrations give the book added interest."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Since the championship has already been decided, this game is of purely academic interest."
                },
                {
                    "text": "His books are of no interest to me at all."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Her comments are of particular interest to me."
                },
                {
                    "text": "There are many places of interest around Oxford."
                }
            ],
            "collocations": {
                "adjective": ["great", "particular", "special"],
                "verb + interest": ["be of", "hold no", "add"],
                "interest + verb": ["lie in"],
                "preposition": ["of interest"]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 3,
            "definition": "an activity or a subject that you enjoy and that you spend time doing or studying",
            "cefr": "a1",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "Her main interests are music and tennis."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He was a man of wide interests outside his work."
                },
                {
                    "text": "My main research interest is herbal medicine."
                },
                {
                    "text": "In the end, she left the company to **pursue** other **interests**."
                },
                {
                    "text": "She has many hobbies and outside interests."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He wanted time to pursue his many and varied musical interests."
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["Hobbies"],
            "collocations": {
                "adjective": ["diverse", "varied", "wide"],
                "verb + interest": ["have", "share", "pursue"]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 4,
            "definition": "the extra money that you pay back when you borrow money or that you receive when you invest money",
            "sensetop": "interest on somethingwith interest",
            "labels": "(finance)",
            "cefr": "b1",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "to **pay interest** on a loan",
                    "contextForm": "interest on something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "The money was repaid with interest.",
                    "contextForm": "with interest"
                },
                {
                    "text": "**interest charges/payments**"
                },
                {
                    "text": "**Interest rates** have risen by 1%."
                },
                {
                    "text": "high **rates of interest**"
                },
                {
                    "text": "They're paying 16% interest on the loan."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The Gold Account pays monthly interest of 5.5%."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Find a bank that has very low interest charges on overdrafts."
                },
                {
                    "text": "a mortgage with a fixed rate of interest"
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["Money"],
            "collocations": {
                "adjective": ["annual", "monthly", "etc."],
                "verb + interest": ["earn", "receive", "pay"],
                "interest + verb": ["accrue", "bear"],
                "interest + noun": ["rate", "payment", "charge"],
                "preposition": ["interest on"],
                "phrases": ["a rate of interest"]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 5,
            "definition": "a good result or an advantage for somebody/something",
            "sensetop": "in somebody's interest(s)against somebody's interests",
            "cefr": "b2",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "The union is working to **protect the interests** of its members."
                },
                {
                    "text": "to promote/defend somebody's interests"
                },
                {
                    "text": "Tough talk doesn't always **serve your interests**."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I was voted in to **represent the interests** of my constituents."
                },
                {
                    "text": "You can't blame them for **looking after their own interests**."
                },
                {
                    "text": "She was acting entirely **in her own interests**.",
                    "contextForm": "in somebody's interest(s)"
                },
                {
                    "text": "These reforms were **in the best interests of** local government."
                },
                {
                    "text": "It is **in the public interest** that these facts are made known."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The policy is clearly working against the interests of consumers.",
                    "contextForm": "against somebody's interests"
                },
                {
                    "text": "It is crucial to our **national interest** to keep stability in the region."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Continuing such a policy is short-sighted and not in the interest of consumers."
                },
                {
                    "text": "It's not in your best interests to let your boss know you're looking for a new job."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He claimed to be acting in the public interest."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I feel it is in everyone's best interest if I step aside now."
                },
                {
                    "text": "She was obviously acting purely out of selfish interest."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The lawyer refused to act against his client's interests."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The union refused to support proposals that it saw as contrary to the interests of its members."
                }
            ],
            "collocations": {
                "adjective": ["best interest", "best interests", "own"],
                "verb + interest": ["defend", "guard", "look after"],
                "interest + verb": ["lie in something", "be at stake"],
                "interest + noun": ["group"],
                "preposition": [
                    "against somebody’s/​something’s interest",
                    "contrary to somebody’s/​something’s interest",
                    "in somebody’s/​something’s interest"
                ],
                "phrases": [
                    "a conflict of interest",
                    "a conflict of interests",
                    "have somebody’s interests at heart"
                ]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 6,
            "definition": "a share in a business or company and its profits",
            "sensetop": "interest (in something)",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "She has business interests in France."
                },
                {
                    "text": "American interests in Europe *(= money invested in European countries)*"
                }
            ],
            "collocations": {
                "adjective": ["powerful", "controlling", "majority"],
                "verb + interest": ["have", "sell"],
                "preposition": ["interest in"]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 7,
            "definition": "a connection with something that affects your attitude to it, especially because you may benefit from it in some way",
            "sensetop": "interest in (doing) something",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "I should, at this point, **declare my interest**."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Organizations **have an interest in** ensuring that employee motivation is high.",
                    "contextForm": "interest in (doing) something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "Lawyers have a direct financial interest in the outcome of the debate."
                }
            ],
            "collocations": {
                "adjective": ["best interest", "best interests", "own"],
                "verb + interest": ["defend", "guard", "look after"],
                "interest + verb": ["lie in something", "be at stake"],
                "interest + noun": ["group"],
                "preposition": [
                    "against somebody’s/​something’s interest",
                    "contrary to somebody’s/​something’s interest",
                    "in somebody’s/​something’s interest"
                ],
                "phrases": [
                    "a conflict of interest",
                    "a conflict of interests",
                    "have somebody’s interests at heart"
                ]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 8,
            "definition": "a group of people who are in the same business or who share the same aims that they want to protect",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "powerful farming interests"
                },
                {
                    "text": "relationships between local government and **business interests**"
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "a situation in which somebody has two jobs, aims, roles, etc. and cannot treat both of them equally and fairly at the same time",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "There was a conflict of interest between his business dealings and his political activities."
                },
                {
                    "text": "One member of the planning committee had a conflict of interest as he lived near the proposed road."
                },
                {
                    "text": "There is often a conflict of interests between farmers and conservationists."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "to do the same thing to somebody as they have done to you, but with more force, enthusiasm, etc.",
            "examples": []
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "to want somebody to be happy and successful even though your actions may not show this",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "Although he was sometimes too strict with his children, he had their best interests at heart."
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["Success"]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "in order to help or achieve something",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "New work practices were introduced in the interests of efficiency."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "a person who is believed to be involved in a crime, but who has not been arrested",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "Police have said they do have a person of interest in the case."
                }
            ],
            "synonyms": "suspect",
            "topics": ["Crime and punishment"]
        }
    ],
    "pronunciations": {
        "uk": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈɪntrəst//ˈɪntrest/",
                "audio": "in/interest/interest__gb_1.mp3"
            }
        ],
        "us": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈɪntrəst//ˈɪntrest/",
                "audio": "in/interest/interest__us_1_rr.mp3"
            }
        ]
    },
    "wordOrigin": "late Middle English (originally as interess): from Anglo-Norman French interesse, from Latin interesse ‘differ, be important’, from inter- ‘between’ + esse ‘be’. The -t was added partly by association with Old French interest ‘damage, loss’, apparently from Latin interest ‘it is important’. The original sense was ‘the possession of a share in or a right to something’; hence sense (6). Sense (1) and the verb arose in the 18th cent. Sense (4) was influenced by medieval Latin interesse ‘compensation for a debtor's defaulting’."
}