# curious

Pronunciation: US say "KYUUR-ee-uhs" /ˈkjʊ.ɹi.əs/; UK say "KYOOR-ee-uhs" /ˈkjʊə.ɹi.əs/

## Adjective

1. Eager to know or learn about something, or showing such eagerness; sometimes, too inquisitive or prying.
   - Simple: Wanting to know or learn about something.
   - _A good researcher stays curious about results that don't fit the theory._
   - _The neighbors were a little too curious about who came and went next door._
2. Odd or out of the ordinary in a way that prompts questions or interest.
   - Simple: Strange or unusual in a way that makes you want to know more.
   - _The diary contained a curious mix of recipes and coded messages._
   - _It was a curious coincidence that both letters arrived on the same day._
3. Interested in a romantic or sexual relationship with members of a particular group; used alone, short for bi-curious.
   - Simple: Interested in dating or having sex with a kind of person you have not been with before.
   - _The app markets itself to conservative-curious singles who want to date across the political divide._
   - _On her dating profile, she said she was curious and open to meeting women._

## Adjective

4. Constructed carefully and artfully; made with great elegance or skill. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: Made with great care and skill.
5. Careful and fastidious; demanding a high standard of excellence and difficult to satisfy. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: Very careful and hard to please.
6. Containing or relating to curium in its trivalent (+3) state. *(rare)*
   - Simple: Containing the rare radioactive metal curium in one of its forms.

## Origin

**Meanings 1–5** — Latin cūriōsus passed into Old French as curius and then into Middle English as curious. Related words include Italian, Portuguese and Spanish curioso.
**Meaning 6** — Formed from curi(um) plus the suffix -ous.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/curious (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).