curio

noun

cu·​rio ˈkyu̇r-ē-ˌō 

ˈkyər-

plural curios

: something (such as a decorative object) considered novel, rare, or bizarre : curiosity

also : an unusual or bizarre person

Synonyms of curio

• ornamental
• souvenir
• novelty
• knickknack

Examples of curio in a Sentence

She loves to browse the shops in small towns, looking for curios.

be careful of the fragile curios on the end tables

Recent Examples on the Web

Frankenstein was even part of the dark ’n’ gritty action-horror hybrid trend of the 2010s, bringing us weird curios like Frankenstein’s Army (2013) and I, Frankenstein (2014). —Katie Rife, Vulture, 9 Nov. 2025

Each video, on its own, is a digital curio, the value of which drops to zero after the initial view. —Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 20 Oct. 2025

Made in Ancient Egypt, which opened this month at Cambridge’s Fitzwilliam Museum, features commemorative stela, golden coffins and masks, and sundry curios created in a style that changed very little down the centuries. —Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 13 Oct. 2025

But more and more, Black List darlings wind up as buzzy Netflix curios like They Cloned Tyrone and May December. —Benjamin Svetkey, HollywoodReporter, 1 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

short for curiosity

First Known Use

1849, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

curio

noun

cu·​rio ˈkyu̇r-ē-ˌō 

plural curios

: an object or article valued because it is strange or rare