The following are some synonyms of interest with relevant examples.

Meaning: Capable of arousing interest or curiosity

Examples:

• Running through this body of work is O’Nan’s tender knack for bringing to life his flawed, sometimes honest, and sometimes self-deluding, always intriguing characters.
• Intrigued by the sensations, she found herself unwilling to look away from him this time.

Meaning: Creating or arousing uncontrolled emotions.

Examples:

• The creators’ quest for authenticity gets in the way of building an exciting narrative.
• The shopping trip was exciting because it was so close to Christmas but otherwise uneventful.

Meaning: Capturing interest as if by a spell.

Examples:

• Not only are pigeons fascinating in their own right, but they also provide a general model of evolution by natural selection.
• If you are not familiar with this whole issue, look into it; it is fascinating and essential.

Meaning: capable of arousing and holding the attention.

Examples:

• Remember “Mad Hot Ballroom,” that riveting and enchanting documentary of children in Washington Heights who participated in a ballroom dancing competition.
• Dressed in dark clothes with dark hair and olive skin with a dark stare, he was both riveting and frightening.

Meaning: capable of arousing and holding the attention

Examples:

• He adjusted his tripod and seemed to have found something very absorbing at that moment.
• She sobbed, absorbing the black visions spilling through his mind.