inquisitive

[ in-kwiz-i-tiv ]

See synonyms for inquisitive on Thesaurus.com

adjective

given to inquiry, research, or asking questions; eager for knowledge; intellectually curious: an inquisitive mind.
unduly or inappropriately curious; prying.

noun

an inquisitive person: thick curtains to frustrate inquisitives.

Origin of inquisitive

First recorded in 1350–1400; from Late Latin inquīsītīvus, equivalent to Latin inquīsīt(us) (see inquisition) + -īvus -ive; replacing Middle English inquisitif, from Middle French, from Late Latin, as above

synonym study For inquisitive

2. See curious.

Opposites for inquisitive

1	uninterested

See antonyms for inquisitive on Thesaurus.com

Other words from inquisitive

in·quis·i·tive·ly, adverb
in·quis·i·tive·ness, noun
su·per·in·quis·i·tive, adjective
su·per·in·quis·i·tive·ly, adverb
un·in·quis·i·tive, adjective
un·in·quis·i·tive·ly, adverb

Words Nearby inquisitive

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use inquisitive in a sentence

“Highly inquisitive, highly playful, always cheerful,” he recalls.
For Next AG, Obama Picks a Quiet Fighter With a Heavy Punch | Michael Daly | November 8, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
But what about the eloquent, book smart, interesting, quirky, inquisitive black woman, you ask?
Lifetime’s ‘Girlfriend Intervention’: The Fairy Black Mothers TV Doesn’t Need | Phoebe Robinson | September 25, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Indeed, the crowd at my reading was attentive, inquisitive—and willing to spend money on printed books.
Amazon Won’t Kill the Indie Bookstore | Bill Morris | July 30, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Friends say he was a highly inquisitive man and kept his ear close to the ground.
'In Cold Blood' in Ukraine | Jamie Dettmer | May 3, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
As Gondry asks Chomsky about his childhood, the answer soon becomes clear: a skeptical, inquisitive, combative mind.
What Is Michel Gondry Doing With Noam Chomsky? | Jimmy So | November 20, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST

Gaze not upon another man's wife, and be not inquisitive after his handmaid, and approach not her bed.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version | Various
Some were inquisitive enough to ask, Has a treaty been signed or a trick been played upon the rebels?
The Philippine Islands | John Foreman
He hands a lady out; her pale blue silk domino hides her effectually from the inquisitive gaze of the crowd.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3) | Charles James Wills
No more inquisitive cruisers ready to let fly a salvo at anything that stirs.
Gallipoli Diary, Volume I | Ian Hamilton
The man's nature was inquisitive, and he was indulging idle conjectures as to what might be the news this courier brought.
St. Martin's Summer | Rafael Sabatini

British Dictionary definitions for inquisitive

inquisitive

/ (ɪnˈkwɪzɪtɪv) /

adjective

excessively curious, esp about the affairs of others; prying
eager to learn; inquiring

Derived forms of inquisitive

inquisitively, adverb
inquisitiveness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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