-
- To save this word, you'll need to log in.
: inquisitive in an annoying, officious, or meddlesome way
pryingly
adverb
Choose the Right Synonym for prying
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
Examples of prying in a Sentence
She tried to escape the prying eyes of her neighbors.
as we moved into our new home, we could sense that there were prying eyes watching us
Recent Examples on the Web
But inquiring into the specifics of familial dynamics is impudent and prying -- and a line of questioning that most people would be happy to avoid answering themselves.
—Nicholas Ivor Martin and Jacobina Martin, oregonlive, 4 Feb. 2023
But inquiring into the specifics of familial dynamics is impudent and prying — and a line of questioning that most people would be happy to avoid answering themselves.
—Jacobina Martin, Washington Post, 4 Feb. 2023
The Google Nest Hub (7/10, WIRED Recommends) is a great smart display with no camera (and therefore no risk of unwanted prying eyes).
—Brenda Stolyar and Medea Giordano, WIRED, 28 Nov. 2022
To my mind, however, there’s a difference between a Google or a Facebook, which provide valuable services in return for their prying eyes, and an app that serves a single, ostensibly benign purpose — parking validation.
—Los Angeles Times, 12 Nov. 2021
Carry two phones While anti-spy software may be effective in staving off the prying eyes of the Chinese government, not everyone knows how to install it.
—Jane Li, Quartz, 6 Aug. 2019
Its purpose: to train librarians to implement secure protocols on their own web services, and to teach members of the community to evade the prying eyes of governments, corporations, and criminal hackers.
—Eoin O'Carroll, The Christian Science Monitor, 18 Oct. 2017
One reason Russians have loaded up on passports is that Cypriot citizenship helps them avoid the prying eyes of their government and pay lower taxes.
—Yalman Onaran, Bloomberg.com, 11 May 2017
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.
Word History
First Known Use
1552, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near prying
Cite this Entry
“Prying.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prying. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
Kids Definition
prying
adjective
pry·ing
: given to asking about other people's affairs especially in an annoying or meddlesome way
pryingly
adverb
-iŋ-lē
More from Merriam-Webster on prying
Nglish: Translation of prying for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of prying for Arabic Speakers
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share