curious
[ kyoor-ee-uhs ]
/ ˈkyʊər i əs /
adjective
eager to learn or know; inquisitive.
prying; meddlesome.
arousing or exciting speculation, interest, or attention through being inexplicable or highly unusual; odd; strange: a curious sort of person; a curious scene.
Archaic.
- made or prepared skillfully.
- done with painstaking accuracy or attention to detail: a curious inquiry.
- careful; fastidious.
- marked by intricacy or subtlety.
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The Curious Chronicle Of The Letter CThe English language is infamously difficult in part because its spelling befuddles even native speakers as letters take on different sounds depending on what letters surround it. Few letters exemplify this trouble more than the third letter of the English alphabet: C. Think about these words: cease, coin, chic, indict, and discrepancy. In this string of terms, C sounds like S, K, Sh, and in …
RELATED WORDS
Nearby words
curie-weiss law, curio, curiosa, curiosity, curiosity killed the cat, curious, curite, curitiba, curium, curl, curl one's hair
Origin of curious
SYNONYMS FOR curious
Related forms
Synonym study
2. 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.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for curious
British Dictionary definitions for curious
curious
/ (ˈkjʊərɪəs) /
adjective
eager to learn; inquisitive
overinquisitive; prying
interesting because of oddness or novelty; strange; unexpected
rare (of workmanship, etc) highly detailed, intricate, or subtle
obsolete fastidious or hard to please
Derived Forms
curiously, adverbcuriousness, nounWord Origin for curious
C14: from Latin cūriōsus taking pains over something, from cūra care
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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