Synonym Usage
See curious.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of prying
Explanation
Someone who's prying has a tendency to snoop into other people's private business. You may notice your prying neighbor peeking through his curtains whenever you have company. It's human nature to be curious, but when curiosity is taken too far, it's prying. Any crime or disaster is inevitably followed by crowds of prying reporters; and you might grow used to hiding your diary from the prying eyes of your little sister. Prying and its root, pry, come from prien, "to peer in," which may trace back to the Old English bepriwan, "to wink."
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.
But will prying eyes across the interwebs ever learn the whole story?
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 14, 2026
The feature doesn’t protect you from all prying eyes.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 25, 2026
Video showed customs officers prying open a crate to find the rock, its surface grey and rugged.
From Barron's • Feb. 5, 2026
Doubtless there will be people trying to peek in from outside, but there will be no prying eyes inside the circuit.
From BBC • Jan. 26, 2026
And then coming here—even before she disappeared—to read the books away from prying eyes.
From "Paper Towns" by John Green
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.
