Holding attention because it offers something worth noticing, enjoying, or understanding.
Reach for it when praising engaging substance without claiming importance or excitement
The guide revealed an interesting connection between the canal and the old market streets.
| playful | |
|---|---|
| everyday |
|
| warm | |
| professional | |
| formal | |
| literary |
playful
Fits when pleasure and amusement are the reason attention holds
Careful Entertaining can be shallow and says little about thought value.
warm
Fits when attention is intense and wonder is genuine
Careful Fascinating exaggerates a detail that is only modestly worthwhile.
warm
Fits when the subject prompts reflection after the encounter
Careful Thought-provoking is narrower and more demanding than merely interesting.
professional
Fits when the case or story is difficult to ignore
Careful Compelling adds persuasive force or urgency.
professional
Fits when the material actively holds an audience's attention
Careful Engaging says more about delivery and participation than intellectual interest.
formal
Fits when the fact deserves attention in a restrained account
Careful Noteworthy may be important without being enjoyable or absorbing.
literary
Fits when a detail is unusual enough to invite inquiry
Careful Curious can mean strange and may subtly question the thing's quality.
literary
Fits when mystery or unresolved possibility draws attention
Careful Intriguing implies a question or puzzle that interesting does not require.
interesting question
An interesting question emerged about who maintained the path in winter.
interesting detail
One interesting detail was the tiny maker's mark beneath the shelf.
find interesting
Many visitors find the unfinished sketches more interesting than the final portrait.
Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Recording: Dvortygirl, American accent, from Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 Updated
Your browser isn't saving lists, so this one will be cleared when you leave the page.