ˈkyu̇rēəs, -ür- adjective
( sometimes -er/-est )
Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French curios, from Latin curiosus careful, inquisitive, from curi- (from cura care) + -osus -ous — more at cure
1.
a. archaic : made or prepared with careful skill : elaborately or exquisitely executed : dainty , elaborate , recherché
b. obsolete : minutely searching : abstruse , recondite
c. archaic : marked by precise accuracy or careful ingenuity
d. now dialect : choice , excellent , superlative
2.
a. : marked by desire to investigate and learn : showing interest in finding or searching out information : inquisitive
a rationalist who was curious and had a sort of scientific interest in life — D.H.Lawrence
a man, like a cat, is curious about his environment and keeps investigating it — Stuart Chase
b. : given to investigating concerns other than one's own
an apprentice curious of his master's secrets
often : marked by inquisitiveness about others' concerns : prying , nosy
curious about the neighbors' doings
c. archaic : having a connoisseur's or virtuoso's interests
3.
a. now dialect : difficult to please : fastidious
b. archaic : careful , solicitous , chary , cautious
4.
a. archaic : accompanied by feelings of interest : interesting
b. : exciting attention, inquiry, speculation, or surprise as strange, hard to explain, unusual, or novel : awakening inquisitiveness : extraordinary
whatever we're thoroughly unfamiliar with is apt to seem to us odd … or curious — J.L.Lowes
c. of a book : erotic , pornographic
Synonyms:
inquisitive , prying , snoopy , nosy : curious always suggests an eager desire to learn and may or may not imply such objectionable qualities as intrusiveness or impertinence
a curious person, who searches into things under the earth and in heaven — Benjamin Jowett
anyone who is prematurely curious to see the difference in treatment between different centuries — Henry Adams
it was as if listening to her I had taken advantage of having seen her poor, bewildered, scared soul without its veils. But I was curious too … I was anxious, anxious to know a little more — Joseph Conrad
inquisitive implies habitual and perhaps impertinent search for information, sometimes about matters secret and unrevealed
we were in plain sight of everybody passing; and therefore we had no lack of visitors among such an idle, inquisitive set as the Tahitians — Herman Melville
well, this Elsie, she was a bit inquisitive, as girls are, and one day … she managed to take a peep through a keyhole or something of that kind, and caught the old lady just in the act of putting the stuff away — Dorothy Sayers
prying implies officious meddling
in Texas the fearful, thirsty citizen may be afraid to have a drink on his front porch because of the prying eyes of his bluenosed neighbor across the hedge — Stanley Walker
and down in one corner of the chest, safe from the prying eyes of my messmates, was a velvet-lined box from Maiden Lane. It contained a bracelet and necklace — C.B.Nordhoff & J.N.Hall
To this snoopy adds the suggestion of slyness or sneaking
the businessman sufficiently snoopy to discover what Jones has saved — Atlantic
nosy , suggesting a dog's procedure, implies desire for full information about any new situation
doesn't want nosy state officials or city slickers prying into its manners and morals — Fortnight
Synonym: see in addition strange .