# curiouser and curiouser

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/curiouser-and-curiouser
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

Used to describe or react to an increasingly mysterious or peculiar situation.

## Examples

- The house was empty, then the lights turned on; curiouser and curiouser.
- I found a locked door in my basement and then heard music coming from behind it, which felt curiouser and curiouser.
- As the strange messages continued to arrive from an unknown sender, the situation became curiouser and curiouser, leaving me unable to sleep.

## Origin

From Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (1865) by the English author Lewis Carroll (1832–1898): see the quotation.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.