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interest

/ˈɪn.tɹɛst/
nounverb

INTEREST is an eight-letter word worth 8 Scrabble points, with four anagrams and one recorded one-letter neighbour.

NWL Collins ENABLE

Noun 4 meanings

  1. The price paid for obtaining, or price received for providing, money or goods in a credit transaction, calculated as a fraction of the amount or value of what was borrowed.

    “Our bank offers borrowers an annual interest of 5%.”

  2. Any excess over and above an exact equivalent

  3. A great attention and concern from someone or something; intellectual curiosity.

    “He has a lot of interest in vintage cars.”

  4. Attention that is given to or received from someone or something.

Verb 1 meaning

  1. To engage the attention of; to awaken interest in; to excite emotion or passion in, in behalf of a person or thing.

    “It might interest you to learn that others have already tried that approach.”

Definitions: Wiktionary (CC BY-SA) via Kaikki/Wiktextract

Where it comes from

Etymology

From Middle English interest, from Old French interesse and interest (French intérêt), from Medieval Latin interesse, from Latin interesse.

Similar and opposite words

Similar
oker
Opposite
boredisinterest

INTEREST is a familiar word with several uses: it can mean the cost of borrowing money, or the curiosity and attention someone gives a subject. Its eight Scrabble tiles are all worth 1 point, so the base score is 8. The word has a frequency rank of 662, yet its anagrams are far less familiar.

INTEREST at a glance

  • INTEREST is eight letters long and scores 8 points in Scrabble.
  • All eight tiles are worth 1 point apiece; no premium letter drives its base score.
  • Its four anagrams are STERNITE, INSETTER, TRIENTES, and INERTEST.
  • Only one recorded one-letter neighbour appears: INTERESS.
  • Among its 12 recorded rhymes are BEST, REST, TEST, and WEST.

What does INTEREST mean?

INTEREST has several connected meanings. It can name the charge paid to borrow money or the return earned by lending it; it also means curiosity, attention, or concern. That range explains why the same familiar word appears in finance and everyday conversation.

The surrounding phrase usually makes the sense clear: “interest rate” points to money, while “show interest” signals attention or curiosity. Its frequency count is 39,252, with a Zipf score of 5.17. That everyday familiarity contrasts with the obscure words formed from the same letters.

The definition also includes an excess over an exact equivalent. In ordinary use, though, borrowing costs and curiosity are the meanings most likely to come up.

How can you use INTEREST in a word game?

Eight letters make INTEREST a potential rack-clearing play when your tiles match, but its base value remains 8: I, N, T, E, R, E, S, and T each score 1. A premium square beneath a tile or across the word changes the turn total; the printed tile values alone do not.

Anagrams share INTEREST’s letter inventory, but STERNITE, INSETTER, and TRIENTES are much less familiar than the original. Check unusual plays against the word list used by your game; a word’s inclusion in one dictionary does not guarantee acceptance everywhere.

INTERESS is the lone recorded one-letter neighbour, made by changing the final T to S. Treat it as a narrow spelling clue, not a broad word family. The repeated E and T tiles are easy to overlook when checking a rack against INTEREST.

Rhymes with interest

All rhymes

One letter away

Change one letter, keep the rest
  • INTERESS8

Questions people ask

How many points is INTEREST worth in Scrabble?
INTEREST is worth 8 points before board bonuses. Each of its eight letters— I, N, T, E, R, E, S, and T—is worth 1 point. A premium letter or word square can raise the score, so the final total depends on where you play it.
What are the anagrams of INTEREST?
The four recorded anagrams are STERNITE, INSETTER, TRIENTES, and INERTEST. Each uses the same letters as INTEREST, including two Es and two Ts. These alternatives are much less familiar in everyday English, so check your game’s word list before playing one.
Does INTEREST rhyme with REST?
Yes. INTEREST rhymes with REST, and the recorded rhyme set also includes BEST, TEST, and WEST. Other examples include REQUEST, SUGGEST, and HONEST. The shared ending is “est,” which makes the short rhymes easy to spot.

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