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Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective curious contrast with its synonyms?

The words inquisitive and prying are common synonyms of curious. While all three words 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

When could inquisitive be used to replace curious?

The words inquisitive and curious are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, inquisitive suggests impertinent and habitual curiosity and persistent quizzing.

dreaded the visits of their inquisitive relatives

When is prying a more appropriate choice than curious?

The synonyms prying and curious are sometimes interchangeable, but prying implies busy meddling and officiousness.

prying neighbors who refuse to mind their own business

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of curious Beyond being supportive, Swift and Kelce actively immerse themselves in each other’s worlds, staying curious about the routines, challenges, and passions that shape them. Jenna Ryu, SELF, 27 Oct. 2025 Out of the ashes rose mammals, including ones curious enough 66 million years later to scrutinize the bones dinosaurs left behind. Dino Grandoni The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2025 The curious newcomer, likely a recently independent cub, climbed a tree near the perimeter fence — a favorite activity for adventurous young bears — and wandered in from the neighboring 67-acre Sequoia Park forest. Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 26 Oct. 2025 In Milan, the Leonardo da Vinci Museum is a hit with curious kids; in Amman, Jordan, the Royal Automobile Museum surprises even seasoned travelers. Christie Holmes, Travel + Leisure, 25 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for curious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for curious
Adjective
  • Babies also have new behaviors, from a playful and inquisitive Diplodocus to a more timid Moros Intrepidus.
    Griff Griffin, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
  • The Creature, who remains nameless throughout the novel, develops into a sensitive and inquisitive soul, yet one shunned by the world for his appearance.
    Big Think, Big Think, 14 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Silver Bullet The idea of league partners doing journalism is always a strange subject.
    Andrew Marchand, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
  • Years later, now a lawyer, Andi wins a radio contest where the host, Jake (Romaine Waite), turns the story of the sleigh bell and stranger into a segment, as listeners help track down her mystery man before Christmas.
    Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Bessent, who specialized in foreign exchange in a decades-long hedge fund career, organized a $20 billion foreign-exchange swap with Argentina’s central bank earlier this month — an unusual structure that bypassed the US Federal Reserve, which is typically the lead party in such arrangements.
    Daniel Flatley, Fortune, 27 Oct. 2025
  • Tucked away in a couple of buildings in Old Town are rows upon rows of colorful artwork, which is not especially unusual for the state historic park.
    Lori Weisberg, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The Dallas Cowboys and team owner Jerry Jones have been very interested in the idea of getting aggressive ahead of the upcoming NFL trade deadline.
    Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Oct. 2025
  • Although the quality of the wines made in Oregon speaks for itself, one of the trends that really got people interested in its Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in recent years was the influx of folks with roots in Burgundy setting up shop there.
    Mike DeSimone, Robb Report, 26 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • As travelers crave experiences over ordinary stays, hotels that have transformed grim to glam are now embracing their bizarre and sometimes haunted histories, even hosting weddings and wellness retreats.
    Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2025
  • But things take a bizarre turn when her son, Simón (Roger Príncep), goes missing.
    Steven Thrash, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • While factory closures have not been uncommon over the past year, BGMEA officials say the industry is facing mounting pressures.
    Mayu Saini, Sourcing Journal, 20 Oct. 2025
  • Unlike Major League Baseball, fire sales are highly uncommon in the NFL when teams fall out of playoff contention.
    Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 20 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Kristen Bell and her husband Dax Shepard are known to be funny, but one joke has kept them in the public eye all week.
    Lisa Respers France, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2025
  • The film is also possibly Reichardt’s funniest thus far.
    Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 23 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Constraints give creative energy a direction to travel, shaping the search space while also confining it — just enough that exploration becomes deeper, weirder, and more productive.
    Big Think, Big Think, 23 Oct. 2025
  • Until then, things will get very weird, very fast.
    Victor Riparbelli, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Curious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/curious. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.

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