Interesting vs Intriguing

When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.

Interesting

Top 1,000 (very common) A1 adjective

Intriguing

Top 2,000 (common) C1 adjective

Most common: Interesting

	Interesting	Intriguing
Pronunciation	🇬🇧 /["/ˈɪntrəstɪŋ//ˈɪntrestɪŋ/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/ˈɪntrəstɪŋ//ˈɪntrestɪŋ/"]/	🇬🇧 /["/ɪnˈtriːɡɪŋ/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/ɪnˈtriːɡɪŋ/"]/
Meaning	something that catches your attention and makes you want to know more	Very interesting and exciting.
Example	I found the documentary about space particularly interesting.	These discoveries raise intriguing questions.
Register	Neutral	Neutral
How common	Top 1,000 (very common)	Top 2,000 (common)
CEFR level	A1	C1
Part of speech	adjective	adjective
Collocations	appear, be, look, extremely, fairly, very, for, to	be, sound, find something, extremely, fairly, very
Antonyms	boring, uninteresting	boring, uninteresting, mundane
Common mistakes	'Interesting' is sometimes spelled incorrectly as 'intersting'., Learners may confuse 'interesting' with 'interested', which have different meanings., 'Interesting' is sometimes overused; specific details can be more engaging.	Confused with 'interesting' – 'intriguing' suggests a deeper level of curiosity., Used to describe mundane things – it should describe something that truly catches attention., Omitting the context – always ensure that what follows 'intriguing' is worth the excitement.
Usage notes	Use 'interesting' to describe things that are engaging or thought-provoking. Avoid it in very formal writing where more specific adjectives might be preferred.	Use 'intriguing' to describe something that captures curiosity, such as a book or a person's behavior. Avoid using it in overly casual contexts, as it may come off as pretentious.

See it in real clips

Agent Carter › S1 E1

Brought you into contact with all sorts of interesting people.

You know, it's interesting that he'd find a knife exactly like the one the boy bought.

Breaking Bad › S1 E3

And we are going to be watching a very interesting video

Agent Carter › S1 E1

Brought you into contact with all sorts of interesting people.

You know, it's interesting that he'd find a knife exactly like the one the boy bought.

Interesting

Trying to forget anything as intriguing as this would be an exercise in futility.

Intriguing

Frequently asked questions: Interesting vs Intriguing

What's the difference between Interesting and Intriguing?

Interesting: something that catches your attention and makes you want to know more Intriguing: Very interesting and exciting.

Which is more common: Interesting and Intriguing?

Interesting is the most common in everyday English.

Which is more advanced: Interesting and Intriguing?

Intriguing is the highest level, at C1, on the CEFR scale.

Are Interesting and Intriguing the same CEFR level?

Interesting: A1, Intriguing: C1 on the CEFR scale.

What part of speech are Interesting and Intriguing?

Interesting: adjective, Intriguing: adjective.

Can you show an example of each?

Interesting: I found the documentary about space particularly interesting. Intriguing: These discoveries raise intriguing questions.

Can I use Interesting and Intriguing interchangeably?

Not always. Interesting and Intriguing are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.