interest rate

[in-ter-ist reyt, -trist] / ˈɪn tər ɪst ˌreɪt, -trɪst /

NOUN

sum charged for use of money

Synonyms

STRONGEST

interest

WEAK

annual percentage rate bank rate borrowing rate lending rate price of money prime interest rate prime rate rate of interest

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The market currently puts the odds of just a single quarter-point interest rate hike by year end at 50/50, according to futures market data.

From Barron's • May 15, 2026

Prime among those perks is a fixed interest rate; the interest rate on a private student loan can range from 2.99% to about 17.99%, based on your credit rating.

From MarketWatch • May 15, 2026

The 10-year bond yield - effectively the interest rate charged to the UK government for a 10-year loan - rose above 5.14% at one point on Friday, the highest for 18 years.

From BBC • May 15, 2026

Markets appear to be realizing that hopes of a Fed interest rate cut later this year might be misplaced, and in fact there could even be an interest rate hike.

From Barron's • May 15, 2026

The borrower was told he had an “effective interest rate of 7 percent” when he was in fact paying something like 12.5 percent.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis