curious

adjective

cu·ri·ous | \ ˈkyu̇r-ē-əs,

ˈkyər-\

Definition of curious

1a archaic : made carefully

b obsolete : abstruse

c archaic : precisely accurate

2a : 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.

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

Keep scrolling for more

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

Upfront Ventures partner Kara Nortman is innately curious. — Polina Marinova, Fortune, "Why This Venture Capitalist Has a Gen Z Mentor," 9 May 2018 United has a full list for the curious, but the routes include New York/Newark to Tokyo-Narita; San Francisco to Frankfurt; Washington Dulles to Paris; New York/Newark to Barcelona; and San Francisco to Hong Kong. — Katherine Lagrave, Condé Nast Traveler, "United's New 'Premium Plus' Seats Are Like Mini-Recliners," 3 Dec. 2018 Cinephiles, Welles fans, and anyone who’s curious about the history of cinema will find a lot to like in both. — Alissa Wilkinson, Vox, "The legendary director died before finishing The Other Side of the Wind. But now it’s finished, and there’s a documentary about it, too.," 2 Nov. 2018 Symbolized by the archer, this energy is curious, inquisitive, and philosophical. — Aliza Kelly Faragher, Allure, "What November's Cancer Horoscope Means for You," 28 Oct. 2018 The pristine, red-tinted concrete paths will now be used by hundreds of thousands of curious visitors as opposed to dozens of insider houseguests. — Marian Mcevoy, ELLE Decor, "An Intimate Look Inside Yves Saint Laurent’s Private Marrakech Home," 2 Aug. 2018 The series of photos of black men, relentlessly probing and curious, is typical of Mann. — Cate Mcquaid, BostonGlobe.com, "At PEM, Sally Mann stays outside the comfort zone," 12 July 2018 The rankings are interesting but also a little curious, if only because D.C. — which is often ranked as one of the best overall cities for bicycling — didn’t make the cut, either as a city in the nation or in the best per state rankings. — Fredrick Kunkle, Washington Post, "Go west, young cyclist: Some of the safest cities to ride a bike in are in California, security firm says," 6 July 2018 The Ruhrtriennale’s decision to invite Young Fathers in the first place was curious, as the group’s stance on Israel has long been public. — New York Times, "Unwelcome Sound on Germany’s Stages: Musicians Who Boycott Israel," 1 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.

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about curious

Listen to Our Podcast about curious

Dictionary Entries near curious

curiouser and curiouser

curiously

curite

Statistics for curious

Last Updated

19 Jan 2019

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for curious

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

See more words from the same century

Keep scrolling for more

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