human interest: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
B2Primarily journalistic/media; also used in marketing, academic criticism, and general discussion.
Quick answer
What does “human interest” mean?
A quality of a story or news report that focuses on the personal, emotional, or relatable experiences of individuals, rather than abstract facts or events.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A quality of a story or news report that focuses on the personal, emotional, or relatable experiences of individuals, rather than abstract facts or events.
Anything (e.g., an aspect of a topic, a feature of a product) that evokes empathy, personal connection, or appeal through focusing on individual people, their lives, and their emotions.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning or usage. Spelling follows respective norms (e.g., 'humanise' vs. 'humanize' in derived forms).
Connotations
Identical in both varieties. Can have a slightly positive connotation (adding depth) or a slightly negative one (sensationalism, lack of serious analysis).
Frequency
Slightly more frequent in American journalistic parlance, but common in both.
Grammar
How to Use “human interest” in a Sentence
[Article/Determiner] + human interest + story/angle/element[Verb: add/inject/include] + human interest + [Preposition: to/into]The + human interest + lies in + [Noun Phrase/Clause]Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “human interest” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The documentary sought to humanise the crisis through powerful human-interest stories.
- We need to humanise the data with a human interest angle.
American English
- The report humanized the statistics by including human-interest elements.
- The campaign aimed to humanize the brand.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
In marketing: 'We need to add more human interest to our brand campaigns to connect with customers.'
Academic
In media studies: 'The research analysed the use of human interest frames in disaster reporting.'
Everyday
Talking about news: 'I prefer articles with a bit of human interest; just numbers are boring.'
Technical
In journalism: 'The editor told the reporter to find the human interest angle on the new economic policy.'
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “human interest”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “human interest”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “human interest”
- Using it as an adjective directly before a person (e.g., 'He is a human-interest journalist' is correct; 'He is very human-interest' is wrong). Treating it as a plural countable noun (e.g., 'many human interests').
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is generally neutral but context-dependent. It can be positive (adding relatable depth) or negative (implying sensationalism or a lack of substantive analysis).
Yes, but only attributively (before another noun). It is a compound modifier, usually hyphenated: e.g., 'a human-interest story', 'the human-interest angle'.
A story based purely on 'hard news', 'factual analysis', 'impersonal data', or 'abstract reporting' that minimizes personal or emotional elements.
Rarely, and with a different meaning. 'Human interests' could refer to the things humanity is generally interested in (e.g., science, art). The journalistic term 'human interest' is almost always used in the singular.
A quality of a story or news report that focuses on the personal, emotional, or relatable experiences of individuals, rather than abstract facts or events.
Human interest is usually primarily journalistic/media; also used in marketing, academic criticism, and general discussion. in register.
Human interest: in British English it is pronounced /ˌhjuː.mən ˈɪn.trəst/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌhjuː.mən ˈɪn.trəst/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “It's a real human-interest story.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: HUMAN = people, INTEREST = what engages you. HUMAN INTEREST = what makes you care about people in a story.
Conceptual Metaphor
NEWS/INFORMATION IS A MEAL. Hard facts are the main course (nutritious but plain); human interest is the seasoning/flavour (makes it palatable and appealing).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is the phrase 'human interest' LEAST likely to be used appropriately?