busybody

noun

busy·​body ˈbi-zē-ˌbä-dē 

: an officious or inquisitive person

Synonyms of busybody

• intruder
• gossiper
• meddler
• spy
• interloper
• buttinsky

Examples of busybody in a Sentence

The neighborhood busybody is telling everyone that the couple up the street is getting divorced.

that busybody across the street is always telling me how to tend to my own garden

Recent Examples on the Web

Claire was initially surprised that this busybody had assumed the role of her official helper without an invitation. — Lincee Ray, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Mar. 2026

The busybody neighbor was hilarious. — Marisa Silver september 23, Literary Hub, 23 Sep. 2025

But Julie seems a victim here of Hedda’s artillery rather than a busybody relative anxious to extend the family line. — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 2026

Advertisement For an invertebrate, Marcellus is quite the busybody. — Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 8 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1526, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for busybody

• afterbody
• antibody
• everybody
• autoantibody
• bawdy
• body
• gaudy
• khadi
• mahdi
• noddy
• oddi
• shoddy

Kids Definition

busybody

noun

busy·​body ˈbiz-ē-ˌbäd-ē 

: a person who meddles in the affairs of others