curious

[kyoor-ee-uhs]

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.

curious

/ 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

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of curious¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of curious¹

C14: from Latin cūriōsus taking pains over something, from cūra care

Synonym Study

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.

Example Sentences

It’s a place where she’s allowed to transmit herself to a curious audience without being cut down in the moment, a platform to become larger than life.

Read more on Salon

Howe spent countless hours analysing footage, reviewing training and attempting to find answers to what has been a curious campaign.

Read more on BBC

His images reward the curious viewer—one willing to be catalyzed by Mr. Winter’s visual storytelling.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Sea slugs, corals, clams and sponges may not get as much of the spotlight as blue whales or sharks, but these curious creatures come with a host of unique, hard-to-believe abilities.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

She encouraged the actors to get out of their heads, to be curious and to ground themselves only in the present moment.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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