Related Words
See curious.
Other Word Forms
- pryingly adverb
- pryingness noun
- unprying adjective
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.
How do you protect your phone screen from 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
The property—which appears somewhat unassuming from the outside—also offers ample privacy thanks to the trees that surround it on three sides, creating a natural barrier from prying eyes.
From MarketWatch • Nov. 26, 2025
Canned answers to prying questions about career mistakes and bumps in our personal lives must be at the ready the moment the festivities begin.
From Salon • Nov. 23, 2025
He looked to make sure, opening the doors gingerly with his fingernails so that he would leave no signs of his prying in the dust.
From "The Golden Goblet" by Eloise Jarvis McGraw
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.
