Inquisitive \In*quis"i*tive\, n.
A person who is inquisitive; one curious in research. --Sir
W. Temple.
[1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Inquisitive \In*quis"i*tive\, a. [OE. inquisitif, F.
inquisitif.]
1. Disposed to ask questions, especially in matters which do
not concern the inquirer.
[1913 Webster]
A wise man is not inquisitive about things
impertinent. --Broome.
[1913 Webster]
2. Given to examination, investigation, or research;
searching; curious.
[1913 Webster]
A young, inquisitive, and sprightly genius. --I.
Watts.
Syn: Inquiring; prying; curious; meddling; intrusive.
Usage: Inquisitive, Curious, Prying. Curious denotes a
feeling, and inquisitive a habit. We are curious when
we desire to learn something new; we are inquisitive
when we set ourselves to gain it by inquiry or
research. Prying implies inquisitiveness, and is more
commonly used in a bad sense, as indicating a desire
to penetrate into the secrets of others.
[1913 Webster]
[We] curious are to hear,
What happens new. --Milton.
[1913 Webster]
This folio of four pages [a newspaper], happy
work!
Which not even critics criticise; that holds
Inquisitive attention, while I read. --Cowper.
[1913 Webster]
Nor need we with a prying eye survey
The distant skies, to find the Milky Way.
--Creech.
[1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
inquisitive
adj 1: showing curiosity; "if someone saw a man climbing a light
post they might get inquisitive"; "raised a
speculative eyebrow" [syn: speculative, questioning,
wondering(a)]
2: inquiring or appearing to inquire; "an inquiring look"; "the
police are proverbially inquisitive"
WordNet (r) 2.0
44 Moby Thesaurus words for "inquisitive":
agape, agog, all agog, analytical, burning with curiosity, busy,
busybody, consumed with curiosity, curious, exploring, forward,
ghoulish, gossipy, impertinent, inquiring, inquisitorial,
interested, intrusive, investigative, itchy, meddlesome, meddling,
morbid, morbidly curious, nosy, officious, open-eyed, openmouthed,
overcurious, presumptuous, probing, prurient, prying, pushing,
pushy, questioning, quizzical, scopophiliac, searching,
self-appointed, snooping, snoopy, supercurious, voyeuristic
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0
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