inquisitive

inquisitive
adjective

Synonyms of inquisitive
1
: given to examination or investigation
2
: inclined to ask questions
especially : inordinately or improperly curious about the affairs of others
inquisitively adverb
inquisitiveness noun

Synonyms
curious
nosy
nosey
prying
snoopy
Choose the Right Synonym for inquisitive

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 inquisitive in a Sentence
… but now, with the wanderings of the fleets and their inquisitive occupants producing words from all over, the English vocabulary was enhanced not merely by the usual suspects but by words from India and Turkey, Arabia and Malaya, Japan and the native peoples of North America …
—Simon Winchester, The Meaning of Everything, 2003
It's partly because humans are naturally inquisitive and exploratory but also, and more significant, because we need the unknown, what historians of religion call "otherness," to lend our lives significance.
—David Nicholson-Lord, Nation, 6 Oct. 1997
Inquisitive eyes reveal the dingo's true nature—it's a hunter, from its cocked ears and powerful jaws to the white tip of its tail.
—Mitch Reardon, Australian Geographic, July–September 1992
an inquisitive woman who tends to everybody's business but her own
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Disney’s live-action film has become so fraught with controversy that the premiere on March 15 will be scaled back and exclude pesky, inquisitive press from the red carpet.
—Tom Smyth, Vulture, 14 Mar. 2025
Cats, known for their mischievous and inquisitive nature, often develop peculiar habits, and this particular feline's nightly ritual has resonated with audiences.
—Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 17 Feb. 2025
Zhao told me that Wang was overly inquisitive about the things the democracy activists were doing that had no connection to the foundation.
—Brian Nishii Tanya P;rez Quinton Kamara, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2025
Fried made a similar first impression on Aaron Boone, Matt Blake and the Yankees’ front office over the offseason, exciting them with his inquisitive nature during a free agency Zoom call.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 28 Feb. 2025

Word History
Etymology
see inquisition

First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of inquisitive was in the 14th century
See more words from the same century