curiosity

IPA/ˌkjʊəriˈɒsəti/
KK[kjˌʊriˈɑsəti]IPA/ˌkjʊriˈɑːsəti/

curiosity — 名詞

  • curiositysingular
  • curiositiesplural

1. the strong feeling of wanting to find out more about something that catches your

1.名詞B1
釋義

好奇心

對新事物感到興趣並想了解的強烈心情

the strong feeling of wanting to find out more about something that catches your attention and makes you ask questions or explore

例句

The children's curiosity about the old lighthouse led them to explore the rocky shore.

孩子們對那座古老燈塔的好奇心，驅使他們去探索岩石遍布的海岸。

curiosity about [topic] + leads to action

Out of pure curiosity, Minh opened the dusty box to see what was inside.

純粹出於好奇心，Minh 打開了那個布滿灰塵的箱子，想看看裡面有什麼。

常見搭配
  • out of curiosity
  • curiosity about
  • spark curiosity
  • satisfy curiosity
  • pique curiosity
  • rouse curiosity
  • curiosity killed the cat
同義詞
  • inquisitiveness

    more formal; often suggests asking many detailed questions, sometimes with a nosy tone

  • interest

    broader and less intense; does not imply active investigation

  • wonder

    more about amazement and admiration than active inquiry

反義詞
  • indifference

    lack of interest or concern

  • apathy

    absence of emotion or enthusiasm about anything

文法句型

curiosity about [something]

out of curiosity

curiosity + verb (drives, leads, makes)

用法筆記

Uncountable in this sense. Do not use with 'a' or in plural ('a curiosity', 'curiosities'). Use quantifiers such as 'a sense of curiosity', 'a spark of curiosity', or 'out of curiosity'.

常見錯誤

❖ 'I have a curiosity about how planes fly.' ✅ 'I am curious about how planes fly.' or 'I have a sense of curiosity about how planes fly.' — 'curiosity' as a desire is uncountable and does not take 'a'.

❖ 'She opened the letter with curiosities.' ✅ 'She opened the letter with curiosity.' — The plural form 'curiosities' means rare objects, not the feeling of wanting to know.

2. an object, fact, or detail that attracts attention because it is very unusual, o

2.名詞B2
釋義

珍品；奇物

因罕見或奇特而吸引人的物品

an object, fact, or detail that attracts attention because it is very unusual, old, or interesting to collectors

例句

The antique shop had a small shelf of curiosities from the Qing dynasty.

那家古董店有一小排來自清朝的珍品。

countable noun: a curiosity / curiosities (plural)

Inês found an old compass at the market, a curiosity once used by sailors a century ago.

Inês 在市場找到一個舊指南針，那是個一個世紀前水手曾用過的奇特物品。

常見搭配
  • a curiosity among [people]
  • local curiosity
  • museum curiosity
  • collector's curiosity
同義詞
  • curio

    specifically a collectible curiosity, often a small decorative object; slightly dated

  • oddity

    stronger emphasis on strangeness rather than collectible value

  • rarity

    focuses on scarcity more than inherent interest or strangeness

反義詞

文法句型

a curiosity (singular)

curiosities (plural)

[noun] + is a curiosity

用法筆記

Countable in this sense. Use with 'a' in singular and 'curiosities' in plural. The object is usually a physical item, but the word can also describe a noteworthy fact or detail that surprises people because it is so unusual.

常見錯誤

❖ 'The shop was full of curiosity.' ✅ 'The shop was full of curiosities.' — When referring to objects, 'curiosity' is countable and needs a determiner or plural form.

❖ 'I bought a beautiful curiosity at the market' (meaning an odd, interesting item). ✅ This is correct! But note that 'a curiosity' always means a rare/unusual thing, not a feeling.

慣用語

curiosity killed the cat

idiom

used to warn someone not to ask too many questions or try to find out things that do not involve them, because it could lead to trouble

好奇害死貓；太過好奇會惹來麻煩

"Where did you get that information?" — "Better not ask. Curiosity killed the cat."

Romi wanted to read her sister's diary, but she reminded herself that curiosity killed the cat.

同根字

常見搭配

副詞搭配