curious

adjective cu·ri·ous \ ˈkyu̇r-ē-əs , ˈkyər- \

Updated on: 14 Apr 2018

Definition of curious

1 a archaic : made carefully

b obsolete : abstruse

c archaic : precisely accurate

2 a : marked by desire to investigate and learn

They were curious as to who won the game.

The cat was curious about its new environment.

b : marked by inquisitive interest in others' concerns : nosy

curious about the neighbors' doings

3 : exciting attention as strange, novel, or unexpected : odd

a curious coincidence

We were concerned about his curious behavior.

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curiousness

noun

See curious defined for English-language learners

See curious defined for kids

curious was our Word of the Day on 05/07/2011. Hear the podcast!

Examples of curious in a Sentence

The cat was naturally curious about its new surroundings.
They were curious to find out who won the game.
We're curious about why you never called us.
I'm curious to know more about her.
She found a curious old clock in the attic.
The birds were engaged in some curious behavior.
Their music is a curious blend of disco and rock.
By a curious coincidence, they bought a house the same day their old one burned down.

Recent Examples of curious from the Web

Be driven to be curious about the bigger realm that exists beyond your own.

— phil blair, sandiegouniontribune.com, "How to make your soft skills your strongest talent," 9 Apr. 2018
For those of you who’ve been curious about Ryan’s vocal abilities over the past 16 years, this is your moment.

— robbie daw, Billboard, "'American Idol' Recap: Ryan Seacrest Sings & Cade Foehner Rocks the Top 24 (Critic's Take)," 9 Apr. 2018
In January, 6-year-old Ryker Roque of Eustis, who was curious about animals, died at an Orlando hospital after contracting rabies when he was bitten or scratched by a sick bat that his father, Henry, brought home from work.

— stephen hudak, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Bats in your attic? Boot them out now before you can't when bat maternity season hits," 7 Apr. 2018
Jamison stopped drinking before the publication of her second book, The Empathy Exams, a collection of curious, luminous essays that garnered critical praise and sold more than 80,000 copies (a vast amount for the genre).

— sophie gilbert, The Atlantic, "Writing and Alcohol: A Reckoning," 6 Apr. 2018
This Saturday, people curious about the centuries-old tradition — produce vendors who travel neighborhoods with a horse-rawn cart — can learn more by visiting one of the three remaining stables in the city.

— christina tkacik, baltimoresun.com, "Block party and art sale to benefit arabbers' stables in Baltimore set for Saturday," 5 Apr. 2018
The Schlegel sisters, Margaret and Helen (Philippa Coulthard), are intellectuals and independent women who are curious about the world outside of their London home.

— matthew gilbert, BostonGlobe.com, "A welcome return to ‘Howards End’," 4 Apr. 2018
The Prince of Wales really is the most curious character.

— penny junor, Vanities, "How Camilla Won Over the Queen and Became the Duchess of Cornwall," 28 Mar. 2018
The canyon bears a curious geologic scar on its western side; a channel 400 meters deep runs through its hard limestone.

— katherine kornei, Scientific American, "A Megaflood-Powered Mile-High Waterfall Refilled the Mediterranean [Video]," 26 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'curious.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

Since the 1300s, "curious" has been variously used to describe things that in some way require, invite, or are characterized by carefulness or inquisitiveness. In so doing, it carries on the legacy of its Latin source, the adjective curiosus, meaning "careful" or "inquisitive." The comparative of "curious" is "more curious," though it is not unusual to encounter the phrase "curiouser and curiouser," made popular by the title character of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland who, Lewis Carroll tells us, "was so much surprised that for the moment she quite forgot how to speak good English."

Origin and Etymology of curious

Middle English, from Anglo-French curios, from Latin curiosus careful, inquisitive, from cura cure

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

curious Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of curious

curious, inquisitive, prying mean interested in what is not one's personal or proper concern. curious, a neutral term, basically connotes an active desire to learn or to know.