curious
Americanadjective
-
eager to learn or know; inquisitive.
- Synonyms:
- interested, inquiring
- Antonyms:
- indifferent
-
prying; meddlesome.
- Antonyms:
- indifferent
-
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.
-
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
Synonym Usage
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
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.
Vocabulary lists containing curious
The SAT: Words to Capture Tone, List 3
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The New SAT: Words to Capture Tone
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The SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 8
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
During their conversation, chief research officer Mark Chen made a curious observation about how the models approach tricky problems.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026
Neptune is a curious planet, as it is the only one in the solar system that lacks a "typical" moon system of large, ordered satellites, meaning its evolutionary pathway might also be unique.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 14, 2026
A lot of her audience are curious about her life, and sometimes viewers "feel like they know you", she said.
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
I would be very curious to see how she would react to hearing One Direction for the first time; hearing “What Makes You Beautiful,” that would be interesting to see.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
For that matter how long would curious eyes up and down the street continue to believe that one small watch shop was quite as busy as it appeared?
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
