Adjacent Words

Inquisitive definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

INQUIS'ITIVE, a. s as z. Apt to ask questions; addicted to inquiry; inclined to seek information by questions; followed by about or after. He was very inquisitive about or after news. Children are usually inquisitive.
1. Inclined to seek knowledge by discussion, investigation or observation; given to research. He possesses an inquisitive mind or disposition. We live in an inquisitive age.
INQUIS'ITIVE, n. A person who is inquisitive; one curious in research.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: showing curiosity; "if someone saw a man climbing a light post they might get inquisitive"; "raised a speculative eyebrow" [syn: inquisitive, speculative, questioning, wondering]
2: inquiring or appearing to inquire; "an inquiring look"; "the police are proverbially inquisitive"

Merriam Webster's

adjective Date: 14th century 1. given to examination or investigation 2. inclined to ask questions; especially inordinately or improperly curious about the affairs of others Synonyms: see curious • inquisitively adverb • inquisitiveness noun

Oxford Reference Dictionary

adj. 1 unduly curious; prying. 2 seeking knowledge; inquiring. Derivatives: inquisitively adv. inquisitiveness n. Etymology: ME f. OF inquisitif -ive f. LL inquisitivus (as INQUISITION)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Inquisitive In*quis"i*tive, a. [OE. inquisitif, F. inquisitif.] 1. Disposed to ask questions, especially in matters which do not concern the inquirer. A wise man is not inquisitive about things impertinent. --Broome. 2. Given to examination, investigation, or research; searching; curious. 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. [We] curious are to hear, What happens new. --Milton. This folio of four pages [a newspaper], happy work! Which not even critics criticise; that holds Inquisitive attention, while I read. --Cowper. Nor need we with a prying eye survey The distant skies, to find the Milky Way. --Creech.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Inquisitive In*quis"i*tive, n. A person who is inquisitive; one curious in research. --Sir W. Temple.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

An inquisitive person likes finding out about things, especially secret things. Barrow had an inquisitive nature... ADJ • inquisitively Molly looked at Ann inquisitively. 'Where do you want to go?' ADV: ADV after v • inquisitiveness I liked children, loved their innocence and their inquisitiveness.

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

a. 1. Curious, inquiring, scrutinizing, given to research, fond of investigation. 2. Curious, prying, intrusively curious.

Moby Thesaurus

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