Skip to main content
to arouse interest

to arouse interest

3.8
To make someone feel curious about something and want to know more
  • phrasal verb
  • /əˈraʊz ˈɪntrəst/
translation icon : despertar interés
  • Teachers often use exciting stories to arouse interest in their students before starting a new lesson.

Examples

  • Macedonia aroused interest in its cause in the West, something hard to gain in the cash-strapped capitals of Paris, London, and Washington.

    Academic text (1997)
  • Great archaeologists, like Schliemann, who discovered the site of ancient Troy, can describe their findings in scintillating and understandable prose, but they will fail to arouse interest in those who lack passion for Trojan artifacts.

    Blog text (32)
  • It also creates distinction and arouses interest.

    Academic text (2008)
  • No, what I needed was an imaginary tale that would arouse interest and eager response.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • Arouse interest and motivate children to participate actively in the lesson.

    Academic text (1997)
  • In the late 1950s, however, with the breakdown of colonial systems in Africa, news coverage of these events began to arouse interest in its peoples, cultures, and arts.

    Academic text (2000)
  • One of his teachers was John Dewey, who invited teachers to include psychology in the curriculum by "creating an environment where the child found herself or himself confronting problems that aroused interest in science, art, and history."

    Academic text (2011)
  • The surprising documentary can arouse interest in viewers who typically avoid history.

  • New scientific discoveries are sure to arouse interest among researchers and students alike.

Synonyms

to attract
vsto arouse interest
991 1.9

Make people notice or want something

focuses more narrowly on causing curiosity and attentive focus
to inspire
vsto arouse interest
837 3.2

Cause someone to feel excited and ready to act

is more about prompting curiosity or simple attentive interest
to motivate
vsto arouse interest
437 3.5

Make someone want to do something

focuses instead on creating curiosity or attentive awareness
to fascinate
vsto arouse interest
238 3.4

To attract and hold someone's strong interest or attention

is milder, mainly starting curiosity rather than holding it
to stimulate
vsto arouse interest
236 3.7

Make a person or thing more active, alert and responsive

is narrower, aiming specifically at curiosity or attention
to interest
vsto arouse interest
206 1.0

To make someone want to know more about something

is the general act of making people curious or attentive
to intrigue
vsto arouse interest
143 5.1

To make someone curious or interested

is less about mystery and more about simple attentive interest
to provoke
vsto arouse interest
115 3.7

Cause a reaction or feeling

is gentler, mainly prompting curiosity or attentive interest
to draw attention
vsto arouse interest
71 2.5

To make people notice something or someone

is aimed at causing mental curiosity and desire to learn more
to excite
vsto arouse interest
64 2.7

To make something more active, alert or interested

is quieter, concentrating on causing curiosity or attentive focus
to ignite
vsto arouse interest
47 4.4

To cause strong feelings in someone

aims mainly to make someone curious or pay attention
to pique
vsto arouse interest
26 4.7

To make someone want to know more

is a more general way to cause curiosity or attention
to catch someone's attention
vsto arouse interest
22 2.8

Make someone notice you or something

leans more toward slowly creating curiosity and longer attention
to gain attention
vsto arouse interest
11 3.0

To get noticed and make people interested

is more about prompting individual curiosity and attentive focus
to catch someone's eye
vsto arouse interest
8 2.7

Attract someone's attention because it is interesting or noticeable

is about creating mental curiosity rather than only a glance
to enthuse
vsto arouse interest
7 5.5

To make someone feel excited about something

is milder, concentrating on stirring curiosity or attention
to kindle
vsto arouse interest
5 6.5

To cause a strong feeling or interest to begin

targets plain curiosity and attention rather than broader emotion
to grab someone's attention
vsto arouse interest
3 3.3

Make someone notice something quickly and feel interested

works more slowly to build curiosity or attentive interest
to enkindle
vsto arouse interest
  • Archaic
1 9.2

To make someone feel a strong emotion

is focused directly on creating simple curiosity or attention
to snag one's attention
vsto arouse interest
1 4.4

Make someone notice something

focuses more on fostering curiosity and longer attention
to arouse curiosity
vsto arouse interest
3.4

To make someone want to know more

is the broader phrase for causing curiosity or attentive focus
to ring someone's bell
vsto arouse interest
  • Informal
8.2

To strongly attract or excite someone

is more neutral, aiming to create curiosity or steady attention

Antonyms

15 1.4

To make someone feel tired or not interested by being dull when you speak

How Interested

to captivate
19 4.2
to engage
117 3.5
to arouse interest
3.8

Surface Forms

arouse interest infinitive
arousing interest present participle
arouses interest third person singular
aroused interest past participle

Morphology

arouse + interest

The meaning 'to make someone feel curious or attentive' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'arouse' (to cause a reaction) with 'interest' (curiosity or engagement). This simple verb + noun composition is a common, literal pattern in English (and mirrored in many languages), so a B1 learner who knows both words should readily understand the phrase.

Etymology

Arouse interest uses the image of waking someone: to arouse means 'to wake' or stir a feeling, and interest is curiosity. So, to 'arouse interest' is to wake up someone's curiosity and make them pay attention.