inquisitive
/ɪnˈkwɪzətɪv/ (bre, ipa) · /ɪnˈkwɪzətɪv/ (ame, ipa) · /in-ˈkwi-zə-tiv/ (ame, mw)
inquisitive — adjective
- inquisitivepositive
- more inquisitivecomparative
- most inquisitivesuperlative
1. eager to learn about many different things or to find out details about other pe
eager to learn about many different things or to find out details about other people's lives — this can be a positive quality, as in an inquisitive child who keeps asking questions, or a negative one, as in an inquisitive neighbour who pries into private matters.
Gabriel's inquisitive nature led him to spend hours reading about the history of ancient Egypt.
positive: inquisitive nature + purpose infinitive
The new neighbour grew tired of Dahlia's inquisitive questions about her salary and personal life.
negative: inquisitive questions about [private matters]
Daichi's inquisitive mind constantly asked 'why' and 'how' during every science lesson.
Putri tried to be polite, but her inquisitive stare made Élise feel uncomfortable.
An inquisitive journalist, Tariq always looked for the story behind the official statement.
- curious
more neutral and more common; does not carry the negative 'nosy' implication by default
- nosy
informal and always negative; refers specifically to prying into others' private lives
- inquiring
formal and positive; suggests serious intellectual curiosity, never nosiness
- prying
always negative; focuses on the act of intrusively seeking private information
- uninterested
lacks any desire to learn or find out
- indifferent
does not care about learning or knowing
文法句型
inquisitive + noun (attributive)
be/seem + inquisitive (predicative)
用法筆記
The word can carry either a positive or a negative connotation depending on context. A positive inquisitive person has a genuine thirst for knowledge; a negative one is nosy and asks about matters that are not their concern. In formal writing the word tends toward the positive (an inquisitive mind), while in everyday speech about people's behaviour it can feel critical (an inquisitive neighbour).