curiosity Hear it!

curiosity Definition

cu·ri·os·ity (kyo̵or′ē äsə tē)

noun pl. -·ties

  1. a desire to learn or know
  2. a desire to learn about things that do not properly concern one; inquisitiveness
  3. anything curious, strange, rare, or novel
  4. Obsolete the quality of being careful, scrupulous, or fastidious

Etymology: ME curiousite < OFr curiosité < L curiositas < curiosus: see curious

curiosity Synonyms

curiosity

n.

  1. Desire to know

    interest, concern, regard, inquiring mind, inquiringness, inquisitiveness, mental acquisitiveness, thirst for knowledge, a questing mind, questioning, searching, eagerness to find out, disposition to inquire, inclination to ask questions, interest in learning, scientific interest, healthy curiosity.

  2. A tendency to snoop

    meddlesomeness, intrusiveness, officiousness, meddling, prying, voyeurism, nosiness*, snoopiness*.

  3. An unusual object

    exoticism, rarity, oddity, marvel; see wonder 2.

curiosity Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • arouse: Violet's curiosity now aroused, things were to get even stranger.
  • pique: I wanted a name that would pique the curiosity of my perspective audience.
  • awaken: He hadn't been there in years, but the old memory had awakened a curiosity, he felt pulled in that direction.
  • excite: This condition will surely excite the curiosity of our structural engineers.
  • satisfy: Simply to satisfy the intellectual curiosity of the members of one sentient species at the expense of the lives of others?
  • stimulate: Religion can help to give meaning to life for many and we aim to stimulate the curiosity of our students with regard to religion.

Converse of subject

drive: For me, this project was mostly driven by academic curiosity.

Adjective modifier

  • morbid: Each new piece of film fed our morbid curiosity, our deep rooted desire to see what actually happened.
  • insatiable: Not a pebble of the ground, to the foliage of the highest branches, escapes the insatiable curiosity of this vigilant settler.
  • idle: Why should our family calamity be made the topic of idle curiosity?
  • innate: Jack and Chandra have taught her many combat and technical skills, with her innate curiosity filling in the gaps.
  • intellectual: Simply to satisfy the intellectual curiosity of the members of one sentient species at the expense of the lives of others?
  • mere: The view here is that the " aware " researcher invests more than mere intellectual curiosity into the subject of his or her research.

Modifies a noun

  • seeker: The wharves of Brooklyn, and every part of New York bordering the East River, were crowded with curiosity seekers.
  • shop: Browse the familiar High Street stores mingled with more unusual curiosity shops.

Noun used with modifier

burning: Too many sites rely on visitors ' burning curiosity to explore and figure it out.

Possessives

sake: I shewed him the letter, and he advised me to accede to her request, if only for curiosity's sake.

Possessives

reader: There should be enough material here to merit all readers ' curiosity!

Preposition: of

  • wit: For peradventure this stirring cometh more of a natural curiosity of wit, than of any calling of grace.
  • age: Also new this year are nine new products designed to address the developmental needs and curiosity of busy toddlers ages 18 to 36 months.

Browse dictionary entries near curiosity

  1. curiosa
  2. curio
  3. Curie's law
  4. Curie point
  5. curie
  6. curia
  7. curfew
  8. curettage
  9. curet
  10. cure-all
  1. curious
  2. Curitiba
  3. curium
  4. curl
  5. curler
  6. curlew
  7. curlicue
  8. curling
  9. curlpaper
  10. curly