inquisitiveness

noun

Definition of inquisitivenessnext
as in curiosity
an eager desire to find out about things that are often none of one's business his irksome inquisitiveness made people reluctant to socialize with him

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 inquisitiveness Allen attended Pacific Lutheran High School in Gardena, California, where he was known for his inquisitiveness and intellect, a former volleyball teammate told NBC News. — Garrett Haake, NBC news, 26 Apr. 2026 Yet by cooling down people and promising to satiate the inquisitiveness of curious scientists, the cucumber managed to spread to all continents. — Andrés Muedano, JSTOR Daily, 25 Mar. 2026 While many other skills can be taught, someone who brings genuine interest and inquisitiveness is always ready to collaborate. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 5 Mar. 2026 This mix of inquisitiveness and exactitude is probably what sets Coyne apart from all the other overconfident music influencers on TikTok supplanting traditional forms of music journalism. — Chris Richards, Washington Post, 7 Feb. 2026 Sincerity and inquisitiveness are Bear’s style of flirtation. — Aj Mason, Them., 8 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inquisitiveness
  1. curiosity
  2. concern
  3. questioning
Noun
  • Out of curiosity, the 21-year-old college student from Palos Verdes decided to place her first-ever bet on the winning couple, putting $10 on the leading contestants, Bryce Dettloff and Trinity Tatum.
    — Cerys Davies, Los Angeles Times, 15 July 2026
  • Raccoons, like humans, approach new environments with a mixture of caution and curiosity, reflecting their innate capacity to understand multiple threats and opportunities simultaneously.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 July 2026
Definition of curiosity
Noun
  • Western analysts have raised concerns that Beijing’s expanding role setting global norms around AI will enable it to export the norms of its own highly restrictive media and internet environment.
    — Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 17 July 2026
  • Alicia Guerra of the firm Buchalter spoke at the June 16 meeting to voice concerns on behalf of the city related to the project.
    — Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 17 July 2026
Definition of concern
Noun
  • Warsh had few, if any, major slip-ups amid intense questioning from Democrats — and supportive commentary from Republicans — in back-to-back days of testimony before the House and Senate on Tuesday and Wednesday.
    — Matt Peterson, CNBC, 15 July 2026
  • In contentious questioning, Booker pressed Blanche on whether career attorneys at the DOJ’s Antitrust Division recommend closing the investigation into the merger.
    — Ted Johnson, Deadline, 15 July 2026
Definition of questioning

Browse Nearby Words

inquisitive
inquisitiveness
inquisitorial
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Inquisitiveness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inquisitiveness. Accessed 22 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on inquisitiveness

Nglish: Translation of inquisitiveness for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of stalwart

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
thumbnail graphic with text word of the day quiz
Weekly "Word of the Day" Quiz See how well you know each Word of the Day for Ju...
See All