“Hobby” vs. “Interest”: What’s the Difference?

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The difference between “hobby” and “interest”

  • A hobby is an activity done for pleasure, while an interest is something that catches a person's attention.
  • Hobbies are typically leisure-based, while interests can be educational or professional.
  • Hobbies are more proactive than interests, but an interest could potentially develop into a hobby.
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What is the definition of “hobby” and “interest”?

Hobby
  • A hobby is an activity that a person does for pleasure in their free time.
  • It is not the main source of income or professional work.
  • Hobbies can range from collecting stamps to playing sports or musical instruments.
Interest
  • Interest is something that attracts a person's attention or curiosity.
  • It could be a particular topic, subject, or activity that someone likes to learn more about.
  • An interest does not necessarily have to be solely for leisure; it can be related to academic or professional pursuits.

Which is the more popular variant on the Internet?

“Interest” is the more popular variant on the web.
Hobby
310,000,000 results on the web
Examples
  1. My hobby is playing the piano for hours every day.
  2. He has taken up woodworking as a hobby and has built some amazing pieces.
  3. Her hobby is painting, and she has even sold several of her pieces to local art galleries.
More popular
Interest
4,750,000,000 results on the web
Examples
  1. I have a strong interest in learning about different cultures around the world.
  2. He has a keen interest in sports, especially football and basketball.
  3. Her interest in photography has led her to travel to many different countries to capture stunning landscapes.
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