Look for an interested synonym by asking how much you care and why: curious and intrigued suit wanting to know, keen and eager suit wanting to join in, and invested or involved suit having a stake in the result.
Interested is a mild word, so another word for interested often makes your feeling clearer. Below you will find a strength scale, swaps for cover letters and chat, the prepositions each word needs, and one famous mix-up.
Swatch at a glance
Best swaps
curious, keen, intrigued, eagerPart of speech
Adjective (past participle of interest)Most formal
attentive, inquisitive, concernedMost casual
up for, into, gameStrongest
fascinated, captivated, passionate aboutAntonyms
uninterested, bored, indifferentWatch out
Disinterested traditionally means neutral and fair, not bored. A disinterested judge is a good thing.
Interested synonym scale: curious to captivated
Moving right along the chip strip, attention deepens. Curious is a light pull to find out more. Intrigued adds a sense of puzzle or mystery. Keen means you actually want to act. Fascinated means it holds your attention deeply. Captivated means you can barely look away.
Go past captivated and you reach passionate or obsessed, which describe a lasting love rather than a moment of attention.
Prepositions that come with each word
| Word | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| interested | in, or to plus verb | I am interested in birds. |
| curious | about | She is curious about the new cafe. |
| keen | on, or to plus verb | He is keen on hiking. |
| eager | to plus verb, or for | They are eager to start. |
| fascinated | by or with | I was fascinated by the talk. |
| drawn to | noun | She has always been drawn to music. |
A common learner slip is "interested on" or "interested about." The standard form is interested in.
Swaps you can lift into a sentence
- I am interested in your offer becomes I am keen on your offer.
- The kids were interested in the magic trick becomes the kids were captivated by the magic trick.
- Are you interested in coming? becomes are you up for coming?
- All interested parties will be told becomes all affected parties will be told.
- I am interested to hear your view becomes I am curious to hear your view.
Cover letters and work emails
"I am interested in this role" is polite but flat. Recruiters respond to energy and reasons. Try eager to, glad of the chance to or this role appeals to me because, then give the reason.
Before: "I am very interested in the marketing position." After: "Your marketing team is where I hope to land, since your community campaigns match the work I enjoy most." The new line names a feeling and a reason in one go.
In replies to sales offers, open to keeps a door ajar without committing: we are open to a short call.
Disinterested is not uninterested
Traditionally, uninterested means bored, while disinterested means having nothing to gain, so able to be fair. A disinterested referee is impartial. Many people now use disinterested to mean bored, but careful editors and exam markers still flag it. Say uninterested or indifferent when you mean lack of interest, and impartial or neutral when you mean fairness.
Opposites, from mild to blunt
Unconcerned and detached are mild and can even sound calm. Indifferent means you truly do not care either way. Bored is everyday and honest. Apathetic is strong and suggests a lack of energy or will, often used about voters or students. For words that describe the thing rather than the person, see interesting synonyms and boring synonyms, or see our words for feelings collection for moods and emotions.
Frequently asked questions
Cover letter: which word beats interested?
Eager and keen show more energy than interested. Pair them with a reason: eager to bring my design skills to your studio.
Which words beat interested for strength?
Fascinated, captivated and passionate are stronger. Use passionate for a long-term love, and fascinated for something that grabs your attention.
Any relaxed ways to say interested?
Into, up for and game are relaxed: I am really into jazz, are you up for pizza? Avoid them in formal writing.
Is keen the same as interested?
Keen is a little stronger and suggests you want to do something. Britons use it more, though Americans understand it fine.
Name some antonyms of interested.
Uninterested, bored and indifferent are the main antonyms. Do not use disinterested if you mean bored in formal writing.
What does interested party mean?
It means someone who has a stake in an outcome, such as a buyer or a relative in a will. Affected party or stakeholder are close swaps.