Dictionary

inquisitive en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /ɪŋˈkwɪzətɪv/
• /ɪnˈkwɪzətɪv/

Etymology

Late 14th century, from Old French inquisitif, from Late Latin inquisitivus, from Latin inquisitus, past participle of inquirere. See also inquire.

Meanings

1. Eager to acquire knowledge; acquisitive.
   • […] a young, inquiſitive and ſprightly Genius; […] 1741, I[saac] Watts, “Of living Instructions and Lectures, of Teachers and Learners”, in The Improvement of the Mind: Or, A Supplement to the Art of Logick: […], London: […] James Brackstone, […], →OCLC, paragraph III, page 100:
2. Too curious; overly interested; nosy.
   • ― Everybody gets their own ration of luck, they say. Now you mention it his face was familiar to me. But leaving that for the moment, how much did you part with, he queried, if I am not too inquisitive? 1922 February 2, James Joyce, “[Episode 16: Eumaeus]”, in Ulysses, Paris: Shakespeare and Company […], →OCLC, part III [Nostos], page 575:
   • A wiſe man is not inquiſitive about things impertinent; […] 1725, Homer, “Book XI”, in [Alexander Pope], transl., The Odyssey of Homer. […], volume III, London: […] Bernard Lintot, →OCLC, footnote, page 75:
   • Huddled together in loathsome files, they squat there over night, or until an inquisitive policeman breaks up the congregation with his club, which in Mulberry Street has always free swing. 1890, Jacob A[ugust] Riis, “A Raid on the Stale-beer Dives”, in How the Other Half Lives: Studies among the Tenements of New York, New York, N.Y.: Charles Scribner’s Sons, →OCLC, page 77:
   • No, no, Bertha; we must not give them reason to say that their neighbours are inquisitive. 1892, A[rthur] Conan Doyle, “[Beyond the City] The New-comers”, in The Great Shadow and Beyond the City, Bristol: J. W. Arrowsmith, […]; London: Simpkin, Marshall, Hamilton, Kent & Co., →OCLC, page 157:

Forms

Deriveds

superinquisitive · overinquisitive · inquisitive monkey · inquisitively · uninquisitive · inquisitiveness · noninquisitive

Relateds

inquire

Synonyms

inquiring

Translations (83)

pl dociekliwy (eager to acquire knowledge) · hu fürkész (eager to acquire knowledge) · nb nysgjerrig (eager to acquire knowledge) · hu minden lében kanál (too curious; overly interested; nosy) · sh знатижељан (eager to acquire knowledge) · bg любознателен (eager to acquire knowledge) · id kepo (too curious; overly interested; nosy) · ceb mausisahon (eager to acquire knowledge) · id ingin tahu (eager to acquire knowledge) · hi जिज्ञासु (eager to acquire knowledge) · pdt nieschierich (too curious; overly interested; nosy) · ru любопы́тный (eager to acquire knowledge) · nl nieuwsgierig (too curious; overly interested; nosy) · it curioso (too curious; overly interested; nosy) · la curiosus (too curious; overly interested; nosy) · it indiscreto (too curious; overly interested; nosy) · vi dòm ngó (too curious; overly interested; nosy) · fi tunkeileva (too curious; overly interested; nosy) · pt enxerido (too curious; overly interested; nosy) · bg досадно любопитен (too curious; overly interested; nosy) · ru пытли́вый (eager to acquire knowledge) · id cerudik (too curious; overly interested; nosy) · th ขี้เสือก (too curious; overly interested; nosy) · ru любозна́тельный (eager to acquire knowledge) · hu kíváncsi (eager to acquire knowledge) · lv ziņkārs (eager to acquire knowledge) · nb nysgjerrig (too curious; overly interested; nosy) · hi प्रश्नशील (eager to acquire knowledge) · pl ciekawski (too curious; overly interested; nosy) · de wissbegierig (eager to acquire knowledge) · pt inquisitivo (too curious; overly interested; nosy) · hu kíváncsiskodó (too curious; overly interested; nosy) · hu kandi (too curious; overly interested; nosy) · vi tò mò (eager to acquire knowledge) · nn forviten (eager to acquire knowledge) · bn পর্যুৎসুক (eager to acquire knowledge) · fa کنجکاو (eager to acquire knowledge) · de neugierig (eager to acquire knowledge) · fr curieux (too curious; overly interested; nosy) · hy հետաքրքրասեր (eager to acquire knowledge) · nb vitebegjærlig (eager to acquire knowledge) · es inquisitivo (too curious; overly interested; nosy) · pt inquisitivo (eager to acquire knowledge) · sh радознао (eager to acquire knowledge) · sv frågvis (eager to acquire knowledge) · nn nyfiken (eager to acquire knowledge) · hu tolakodó (too curious; overly interested; nosy) · jam fass (too curious; overly interested; nosy) · es curioso (too curious; overly interested; nosy) · id penasaran (too curious; overly interested; nosy) · pt intrometido (too curious; overly interested; nosy) · fi tiedonhaluinen (eager to acquire knowledge) · pl wścibski (too curious; overly interested; nosy) · da videbegærlig (eager to acquire knowledge) · id asyik tanya (eager to acquire knowledge) · hi कुतूहली (eager to acquire knowledge) · mi mahira (too curious; overly interested; nosy) · sv nyfiken (too curious; overly interested; nosy) · gl inquisitivo (eager to acquire knowledge) · cmn 好奇 (eager to acquire knowledge) · de neugierig (too curious; overly interested; nosy) · th สอดรู้สอดเห็น (too curious; overly interested; nosy) · id melit (too curious; overly interested; nosy) · nn vitekjær (eager to acquire knowledge) · hu tapintatlan (too curious; overly interested; nosy) · da nysgerrig (eager to acquire knowledge) · es inquisitivo (eager to acquire knowledge) · fi utelias (eager to acquire knowledge) · nl nieuwsgierig (eager to acquire knowledge) · ceb masukitsukiton (eager to acquire knowledge) · sh radoznao (eager to acquire knowledge) · lv ziņkārīgs (eager to acquire knowledge) · nl leergierig (eager to acquire knowledge) · az bilikcil (eager to acquire knowledge) · ja 知りたがる (eager to acquire knowledge) · ru любопы́тный (too curious; overly interested; nosy) · mi māhirahira (too curious; overly interested; nosy) · az maraqcıl (eager to acquire knowledge) · sv vetgirig (eager to acquire knowledge) · eo scivola (eager to acquire knowledge) · hu indiszkrét (too curious; overly interested; nosy) · sh znatiželjan (eager to acquire knowledge) · fi tiedonjanoinen (eager to acquire knowledge)