Curious — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

Curious (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

1. interested in what is not one's own business

   "curious neighbors peered out of their windows as the new people moved in"

   similar: inquisitive, nosy, prying, snoopy
   related: interfering, intrusive, meddlesome, meddling, obtrusive, officious, inquisitional, inquisitorial, interrogative, questioning, quizzical, concerned, interested
   opposite: incurious, uncurious
   near: apathetic, disinterested, indifferent, unconcerned, uninterested

2. different from the ordinary in a way that causes curiosity or suspicion

   "that's a pretty curious coincidence—almost too curious to be believed"

   similar: bizarre, bizarro, cranky, crazy, eccentric, erratic, far-out, funky, funny, kinky, kooky, odd, off-kilter, off-the-wall, offbeat, out-of-the-way, outlandish, outré, peculiar, quaint, queer, queerish, quirky, remarkable, rum (chiefly British), screwy, spaced-out, strange, wacky, way-out, weird, weirdo, wild
   related: aberrant, abnormal, addlepated, flaky, extraordinary, fantastic, freak, freakish, freaky, phantasmagoric, phenomenal, atypical, rare, singular, uncommon, uncustomary, unique, unusual, unwonted, conspicuous, notable, noticeable, outstanding, prominent, salient, striking, atrocious, outrageous, shocking, crotchety, idiosyncratic, nonconformist, nonmainstream, out-there, unconventional, unorthodox, baffling, bewildering, confounding, mystifying, perplexing, puzzling
   near: average, commonplace, everyday, garden, normal, ordinary, prosaic, routine, run-of-the-mill, standard, typical, unexceptional, unremarkable, usual, workaday, conformist, conservative, conventional, expected, familiar, knee-jerk, predictable, common, customary, frequent, habitual, regular, wonted

3. noticeably different from what is generally found or experienced

   "that is one of the most curious paintings I've ever seen"

   similar: extraordinary, funny, odd, offbeat, out-of-the-way, peculiar, queer, rare, singular, strange, unaccustomed, uncommon, uncustomary, unique, unusual, weird
   related: bizarre, eccentric, far-out, kooky, oddball, outlandish, outré, way-out, aberrant, abnormal, atypical, exceptional, irregular, newsworthy, notable, noteworthy, noticeable, particular, remarkable, special
   opposite: common, ordinary, plain, usual
   near: unexceptional, expected, predictable, familiar, normal, regular, typical