# curious

> English word · Adjective · IPA /ˈkjʊə.ɹi.əs/ · frequency rank #3,289

## Definitions
1. Tending to ask questions, or to want to explore or investigate; inquisitive; (with a negative connotation) nosy, prying.
2. Caused by curiosity.
3. Leading one to ask questions about; somewhat odd, out of the ordinary, or unusual.
4. Clipping of bi-curious.
5. Interested in entering a romantic or sexual relationship with a specified group.
6. Careful, fastidious, particular; (specifically) demanding a high standard of excellence, difficult to satisfy.
7. Carefully or artfully constructed; made with great elegance or skill.

## Etymology
From Middle English curious, from Old French curius, from Latin cūriōsus. The English word is cognate with Italian curioso, Occitan curios, Portuguese curioso, and Spanish curioso.

## Easily confused with
- **curiously** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/curious-vs-curiously)
- **copious** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/copious-vs-curious)
- **cautious** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cautious-vs-curious)

## Common misspellings (9)
`ccurious`, `cruious`, `cuirous`, `curiosu`, `curiouss`, `curiuos`, `curoius`, `currious`, `ucrious`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/curious