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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Origin of curious
SYNONYMS FOR curious
synonym study for curious
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.
OTHER WORDS FROM curious
Words nearby curious
curie-weiss law, curio, curiosa, curiosity, curiosity killed the cat, curious, curite, curitiba, curium, curl, curl one's hair
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Example sentences 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 of curious
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
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