1
2
3

Try This Instead

For
Try This
curious people
fascinated people
interested people
concerned people
a curious situation
a peculiar situation
an intriguing situation
a mysterious situation
a fascinating situation
an interesting situation
a curious mixture
an unusual mixture
a strange mixture
a surprising mixture
a clever mixture
a bizarre mixture
a curious look
a peculiar look
a puzzled look
a suspicious look
an uncertain look
curious onlookers
nosy onlookers
enthralled onlookers
anxious onlookers
eager onlookers
inquisitive onlookers

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 One curious interviewer asked tight end Russ Francis to describe what soon became known as the West Coast offense. Mark Purdy, The Mercury News, 24 Jan. 2025 Thirty years after a Los Angeles jury found O.J. Simpson not guilty of murdering Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman, the case is still being poked and prodded under the microscope of curious filmmakers. Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 17 Jan. 2025 The shelter believes the curious 2-year-old is being overlooked due to having feline immunodeficiency virus, which weakens her immune system. Simone Jasper, Miami Herald, 17 Jan. 2025 Some were actors looking for something to do (including Jen Cohn, a voice actor in Overwatch and Grand Theft Auto V) and others were curious about performing Shakespeare for the first time. Barry Levitt, TIME, 17 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for curious 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for curious
Adjective
  • The principal investigators and students were smart and inquisitive, their labs had expertise in building things, and everyone was genuinely curious about the experiments being designed and performed.
    IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 25 Nov. 2024
  • Max is frantic and inquisitive, peppering Avery with questions and clinically presenting the possible scenarios; Tristan remains calm and collected, downplaying the situation while expressing aloof support.
    Claire Franken, TVLine, 21 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • Luther allegedly continued to purchase and inject the counterfeit Botox despite knowing clients had fallen ill or experienced strange symptoms, Sassoon said.
    Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 22 Jan. 2025
  • The current situation with Lenovo’s Legion Go S is a strange one.
    Jason Evangelho, Forbes, 22 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • While some of the operations may not have been unusual, ICE averaged 311 daily arrests in the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30. — Associated Press Trump says inflation isn’t his No. 1 issue.
    Baltimore Sun staff, Baltimore Sun, 27 Jan. 2025
  • Hegseth showed up in person for the vote, which is unusual.
    Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA TODAY, 25 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • Those interested in learning more about Ramona Kiwanis can contact Membership Chair Darryl Albertson at 858-449-8352.
    Maureen Robertson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Jan. 2025
  • What’s next The researchers involved in this study come from institutes around the world and are all interested in improving data systems for wildlife trade.
    Alice Catherine Hughes, The Conversation, 28 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • Does that explain his bizarre excursion to allow Arnaut Danjuma to score?
    Greg O'Keeffe, The Athletic, 30 Jan. 2025
  • Archaeologists have uncovered a series of bizarre ancient burials in France.
    Jonathan Granoff, Newsweek, 29 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • However, complete asthma remission, in which all symptoms go away for a year or more without any medications, is uncommon.
    Daniel More, Verywell Health, 30 Jan. 2025
  • The big picture: Fatal crashes of commercial aircraft in the U.S. have become uncommon in the 21st century, as regulations have increased, technology has advanced and safety measures and controls have improved.
    Sareen Habeshian, Axios, 30 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • The scene perfectly captures the absurdity of Toya throwing a party for her first Birkin—made even funnier by the group’s collective indifference.
    Shelby Stewart, Essence, 20 Jan. 2025
  • Unfortunately, this sketch is less funny than the actual show.
    Rosa Escandon, Forbes, 19 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • Yeah, the weirdest feeling is that initial feeling of shock.
    Chris Perugini, Forbes, 22 Jan. 2025
  • The issues: Is this gift too weird for a brother to give his sister?
    Philip Galanes, New York Times, 22 Jan. 2025

Podcast

Thesaurus Entries Near curious

Cite this Entry

“Curious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/curious. Accessed 2 Feb. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on curious

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!