— curiously , adv. — curiousness , n.
/kyoor"ee euhs/ , adj.
1. eager to learn or know; inquisitive.
2. prying; meddlesome.
3. arousing or exciting speculation, interest, or attention through being inexplicable or highly unusual; odd; strange: a curious sort of person; a curious scene.
4. Archaic.
a. made or prepared skillfully.
b. done with painstaking accuracy or attention to detail: a curious inquiry.
c. careful; fastidious.
d. marked by intricacy or subtlety.
[ 1275-1325; ME curiosus careful, inquisitive, equiv. to curi- (comb. form of cura care) + -osus -OUS. See CURE ]
Syn. 1. inquiring, interested. 2. spying, peeping. CURIOUS, INQUISITIVE, MEDDLESOME, PRYING refer to taking an undue (and petty) interest in others' affairs. CURIOUS implies a desire to know what is not properly one's concern: curious about a neighbor's habits. INQUISITIVE implies asking impertinent questions in an effort to satisfy curiosity: inquisitive about a neighbor's habits. MEDDLESOME implies thrusting oneself into and taking an active part in other people's affairs entirely unasked and unwelcomed: a meddlesome cousin who tries to run the affairs of a family. PRYING implies a meddlesome and persistent inquiring into others' affairs: a prying reporter inquiring into the secrets of a business firm. 3. singular, novel, rare.
Ant. 1, 2. indifferent.