inquisitiveness
/ɪnˈkwɪzətɪvnəs/ (bre, ipa) · /ɪnˈkwɪzətɪvnəs/ (ame, ipa) · /|ivnə̇s/ (ame, mw)
inquisitiveness — noun
1. a strong, often active desire to learn something new or to find out details abou
a strong, often active desire to learn something new or to find out details about people or situations, sometimes going beyond what others consider appropriate.
Mei-Lin's inquisitiveness led her to read every book she could find about ancient Egypt.
The science teacher praised Fumi's inquisitiveness but reminded her to let other students answer too.
context: positive intellectual trait in academic settings
Deepa's constant inquisitiveness about her neighbours' private lives made everyone feel watched.
The editor valued Vikram's inquisitiveness because he always checked every fact before publishing.
Zahra's natural inquisitiveness about the natural world drove her to study marine biology in college.
- curiosity
the more common and neutral term; broader in meaning and used in everyday conversation
- nosiness
specifically negative — an excessive, unwanted interest in other people's private affairs
- prying
focuses on the act of asking or looking into things that are not one's business
- interest
milder and more general; does not carry the intensity or potential intrusiveness of inquisitiveness
- indifference
lack of interest or concern about something
- apathy
absence of emotion or enthusiasm; stronger than indifference
文法句型
inquisitiveness + about + noun
用法筆記
This noun can carry either a positive meaning (intellectual curiosity, eagerness to learn) or a negative one (nosiness, prying into personal matters). The surrounding context — especially adjectives like 'natural', 'childlike', 'insatiable' vs 'constant', 'annoying' — tells the reader which connotation is intended.