interest in

interest in (someone or something)

1. To be intrigued by or curious about something. Haley's just never been interested in the Harry Potter books, so she's never read them.
2. To want something. No thanks, I'm not interested in anything to drink right now.
3. To have romantic feelings for someone. A: "Is Drew really interested in me?" B: "Yes! I think he's going to ask you out soon!"
4. To cause someone to be intrigued by or curious about something. In this usage, a noun or pronoun can be used between "interest" and "in." I can't seem to interest Haley in the Harry Potter books, no matter how hard I try.
5. To cause someone to want something, often something for purchase. In this usage, a noun or pronoun can be used between "interest" and "in." Ma'am, can I interest you in our finest bed linens? Now that you're here, can I interest you in some lemonade?
See also: interest
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

interest someone in someone or something

to arouse the interest of someone in someone or something. Yes, lean recommend someone for you to hire. Could I interest you in Tom? He's one of our best workers. Can I interest you in checking out a book from the library?
See also: interest

interest someone in something

to cause someone to wish to purchase something. Could I interest you in something with a little more style to it? Can I interest you in some additional insurance on your life?
See also: interest
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

interest in

v.
To arouse in someone a curiosity about, or a desire for, doing or acquiring something: The clerk interested the customer in a new refrigerator. I am interested in French literature.
See also: interest
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs.
See also:
  • interest in (someone or something)
  • take an interest
  • take an interest in
  • take an interest in (someone or something)
  • go all the way
  • put a bee in (one's) bonnet
  • put a bee in bonnet
  • I'm not mad at it
  • 10 points to Gryffindor
  • I ain't mad at it
References in periodicals archive
ISLAMABAD -- Investors were taking interest in Pakistan due to stability in energy sector and China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects.
Most recently, he said, there has been strong interest in high-dividend equities and collateralized loan obligations, the latter offering returns nearing 4% and high credit quality in the better tranches.
Ins: Shelvey (PS12m), Saivet (4.8m), Townsend (11.8m) Outs: Williamson, Thauvin (loan likely) What could happen: They have an interest in Loic Remy (loan or PS10m), Saido Berahino (PS20m) and Seydou Doumbia (loan).
Riyadh, Jumada I 25, 1436, Mar 16, 2015, SPA -- The International Numbering System (INS) has praised the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia represented by Saudi Numbering Center of the Council of Saudi Chambers for the Kingdom's application and its interest in the tracking system for medicines (Track and Trace Project), whereas the Kingdom is considered as one of the first countries that have implemented the system at the level of the Middle East.
Khalil Ghariani, Chairman of the Social Committee at the UTICA, called on the new Government to take special interest in the phenomenon of sit-ins.
Two of the biggest global financial institutions UBS and JP Morgan have declared interest in the capital of Bulgarian insurance Company "Lev Ins", the company announced.
(1) Once the mortgagee has been paid for a loss to the extent of its full interest in the property, the mortgagor is entitled to payment for the remainder of the amount of loss, if any.
As banks have become more aggressive with 5-year certificates of deposits paying interest in a range of 5% to 5.4%, crediting rates have moved up on many interest-sensitive life and annuity products, contributing to a narrowing of profit margins and a decline in operating earnings.
Rubino, a former bodybuilder and Navy SEAL, and Johnson, an athlete and former martin artist, clicked immediately through their common interest in sports and fitness.
The Service asserts that A lacked an insurable interest in the lives of the 2,435 employees insured under the P policies.
Our interest in life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness hasn't changed, but the pursuit doesn't look exactly the same as it to.
Bush ignored the early August 2001 warning in the President's Daily Briefing that was head ed "Bin Laden Determined to Strike in U.S" And as CLA veteran Ray McGovern pointed out to William Raspberry of The Washington Post, the FBI's Spike Owens "received a $20,000 cash award from the administration for his duties in safeguarding the American people" after rejecting unread that report from the FBI's field office about "all those Arab fellows training on aircraft but with no interest in learning how to land them."
His interest in the world of business and economics arises, he tells me, from his interest in making and saving money.
Because of inherent limitations of DTDs, there is great interest in a more effective technique called "XML Schemas", another W3C standard, which defines the specific markup that is valid within an XML document.