curious

American  

[kyoor-ee-uhs] / ˈkyʊər i əs /

adjective

1. eager to learn or know; inquisitive.

   Synonyms:

   interested, inquiring

   Antonyms:

   indifferent

2. prying; meddlesome.

   Antonyms:

   indifferent

3. arousing or exciting speculation, interest, or attention through being inexplicable or highly unusual; odd; strange.

   a curious sort of person;

   a curious scene.

   Synonyms:

   rare, novel, singular

4. Archaic.

   1. made or prepared skillfully.

   2. done with painstaking accuracy or attention to detail.

      a curious inquiry.

   3. careful; fastidious.

   4. marked by intricacy or subtlety.

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curious British  

/ ˈkjʊərɪəs /

adjective

1. eager to learn; inquisitive

2. overinquisitive; prying

3. interesting because of oddness or novelty; strange; unexpected

4. rare (of workmanship, etc) highly detailed, intricate, or subtle

5. obsolete fastidious or hard to please

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Related Words

Curious, inquisitive, meddlesome, prying refer to taking an undue (and petty) interest in others' affairs. Curious implies a desire to know what is not properly one's concern: curious about a neighbor's habits. Inquisitive implies asking impertinent questions in an effort to satisfy curiosity: inquisitive about a neighbor's habits. Meddlesome implies thrusting oneself into and taking an active part in other people's affairs entirely unasked and unwelcomed: a meddlesome cousin who tries to run the affairs of a family. Prying implies a meddlesome and persistent inquiring into others' affairs: a prying reporter inquiring into the secrets of a business firm.

Other Word Forms

• curiously adverb
• curiousness noun
• noncurious adjective
• noncuriously adverb
• noncuriousness noun
• overcurious adjective
• overcuriously adverb
• overcuriousness noun
• supercurious adjective
• supercuriously adverb
• supercuriousness noun
• uncurious adjective
• uncuriously adverb

Etymology

Origin of curious

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English, from Latin cūriōsus “careful, inquisitive,” equivalent to cūri- (combining form of cūra “care”) + -ōsus -ous; see cure

Explanation

If you’re curious, you really want to know something — like the secret ingredient that makes these cookies so crunchy. You may wish you hadn’t been so curious when you find out it’s roasted crickets. Curious describes someone who is eager to find out answers and to explore and learn. A curious student asks lots of questions. A curious little monkey, like the famous Curious George from the children’s book series, may be so curious to know how a clock works that he breaks it trying to get a closer look inside. Curious can also describe something unusual, like a house that is painted a curious shade of purple.

Example Sentences

As a former journalist, I was paid to be curious about the people I interviewed.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 18, 2026

"So I was curious as to whether that was going to be replicated in the seismic data."

From Science Daily • Apr. 18, 2026

The fandom is far more curious, knowledgeable and friendly than most corners of the internet are today.

From Salon • Apr. 12, 2026

My pregame ritual became a curious thing for Ernie.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 12, 2026

And I get to see where Aunt Melissa works, which I’ve been curious about since we moved in.

From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller

Related Words

• bizarre
• exotic
• extraordinary
• mysterious
• peculiar
• puzzling
• remarkable
• strange
• unique
• unusual
• weird
• wonderful