curious

adjective

cu·ri·ous | \ ˈkyu̇r-ē-əs

, ˈkyər-\

Definition of curious

1a : 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

2 : exciting attention as strange, novel, or unexpected : odd a curious coincidence We were concerned about his curious behavior.

3a archaic : made carefully

b archaic : precisely accurate

c obsolete : abstruse

Other Words from curious Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about curious

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Synonyms & Antonyms for curious

Synonyms

inquisitive, nosy (or nosey), prying, snoopy

Antonyms

incurious, uncurious

Choose the Right Synonym for 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. children are curious about everything inquisitive suggests impertinent and habitual curiosity and persistent quizzing. dreaded the visits of their inquisitive relatives prying implies busy meddling and officiousness. prying neighbors who refuse to mind their own business

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."

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 on the Web

There are also curious and unsubstantiated reports of deep-sea fish burning up in the magma shift. — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, "French Island Might Be Sitting On Top of Gigantic Underwater Magma Shift," 20 Mar. 2019 Buffy Summers embodied everything any 16-year-old heroine should be: fearless, curious, and strong-willed. — Seventeen, "The 20 Greatest TV Teen Dramas of All Time," 4 Dec. 2018 Generally speaking, fire signs are passionate and exuberant, earth signs are practical and grounded, air signs are intellectual and curious, and water signs are intuitive and emotional. — Aliza Kelly Faragher, Allure, "Each Zodiac Sign's Unique Personality Traits, Explained by an Astrologer," 28 Oct. 2018 Put in less-evocative language: Vector is designed to be curious and to react. — Dieter Bohn, The Verge, "The new Anki Vector robot is smart enough to just hang out," 8 Aug. 2018 Still curious about the royal family's charity work? — Caroline Hallemann, Town & Country, "Meghan Markle was just announced patron of four charities, but what does that really mean?," 12 Jan. 2019 Fans will be curious to see the results of his work during Vegas action. — Vince Ellis, Detroit Free Press, "Detroit Pistons in Las Vegas Summer League: Five story lines to follow," 1 July 2018 NaVorro Bowman’s ongoing unemployment is somewhat curious. — Andy Benoit, SI.com, "Jon Gruden Is Back, With a Big Rebuilding Job: 10 Thoughts on the Raiders," 18 June 2018 This curious Economist piece imagines a world in which women hold half of all global CEO jobs. — Kristen Bellstrom, Fortune, "Wimbledon, Scarlett Johansson, House of Cards: Broadsheet July 6th," 6 July 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.

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Dictionary Entries near curious

curiouser and curiouser

curiously

curite

Statistics for curious

Last Updated

23 Apr 2019

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Time Traveler for curious

The first known use of curious was in the 14th century

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More Definitions for curious

curious

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of curious

: having a desire to learn or know more about something or someone

: strange, unusual, or unexpected

See the full definition for curious in the English Language Learners Dictionary

curious

adjective

cu·ri·ous | \ ˈkyu̇r-ē-əs

Kids Definition of curious

1 : eager to learn : inquisitive Curious onlookers gathered at the scene.

2 : showing an eagerness to learn a curious expression

3 : attracting attention by being strange or unusual : odd “… I'm a … collector … and I like to look at curious specimens.”— Oliver Butterworth, The Enormous Egg