curiosity

curiosity

noun

Definition of CURIOSITY

1

an eager desire to find out about things that are often none of one's business <our neighbor's curiosity about what we were doing last night was really offensive>

Synonyms curiousness, inquisitiveness, nosiness

Related Words attentiveness, concern, interest, regard, wonderment; inquiry, interrogation, prying, questioning; interference, intrusiveness, meddlesomeness, obtrusiveness, officiousness; eavesdropping, rubbernecking

Near Antonyms apathy, disinterestedness, disregard, indifference, unconcern

Antonyms incuriosity, incuriousness

2

something strange or unusual that is an object of interest <the museum's curiosities include items constructed entirely out of toothpicks>

Synonyms curio, exotic, objet d'art (also objet), oddity, oddment, rarity

Related Words found object, objet trouvé; curiosa, ephemera, virtu (or vertu); marvel, prodigy, rara avis, rare bird, wonder; abnormality, anomaly, freak, monster, monstrosity; malformation, mutant, mutation

3

a small object displayed for its attractiveness or interest <an assortment of curiosities from around the world that the family picked up during various vacations>

Synonyms bauble, bibelot, curio, curiosity, doodad, gaud, gewgaw (also geegaw), gimcrack, kickshaw, novelty, ornamental, tchotchke, trinket

Related Words bijouterie, bric-a-brac, gimcrackery, trinketry, trumpery, virtu (or vertu); bagatelle, trifle; figurine, objet d'art (also objet), ornament; keepsake, memento, souvenir; conversation piece; collectible (or collectable), collector's item

4

an odd or peculiar habit <Charles Dickens typically endowed his characters with an array of endearing curiosities>

Synonyms crotchet, curiosity, eccentricity, erraticism, individualism, kink, mannerism, oddity, peculiarity, quiddity, quip, quirk, singularity, tic, trick, twist

Related Words affectation, airs; attribute, characteristic, mark, property, trait; custom, habit, pattern, practice (also practise), way, wont; addiction; abnormality, neuroticism, perversion, weirdness; disposition, genius, leaning, partiality; bent, inclination, penchant, predilection, predisposition, proclivity, propensity, tendency, turn; attitude, character, humor, identity, individuality, nature, personality, temperament

Near Antonyms conformity, sameness