curiosity
- 01 B1 Intermediate
the feeling of wanting to know or learn about something.
the state or quality of being inquisitive; a strong desire to investigate and learn.
Simple“The children were full of curiosity about the locked room at the end of the hall.”
In context“Her intellectual curiosity led her to explore fields of study far beyond the requirements of her degree.”
UsageOften used with the preposition 'about' or followed by an infinitive.
SynonymsinquisitivenessinterestAntonyms - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
an unusual or rare object that people find interesting.
a rare, unusual, or strange object that attracts interest or attention.
Simple“The old shop was filled with curiosities like wooden toys and ancient coins.”
In context“The museum's collection includes several Victorian curiosities, such as a clock that runs entirely on water power.”
UsageIn this sense, the noun is countable.
- 03 C2 Proficiency
very careful and delicate work or construction.
the quality of being carefully or delicately constructed; fine or intricate workmanship.
Simple“The gold box was a curiosity of fine carving and detail.”
In context“The ivory cabinet was a curiosity of such exquisite detail that it was considered the finest piece in the royal collection.”
UsageRarely encountered in modern speech; found primarily in historical texts or formal descriptions of art.
Synonymsdelicacyintricacy
“Aviv admits to a previous “deficit of curiosity” about mothers.”
“The biographer’s prose style is his own but he writes in the same spirit – fired by curiosity and close-marking his subject; gesturing out to the reader as though to engage them in debate.”
From Middle English curiosite, variant of curiouste, from Anglo-Norman curiouseté, from Latin cūriōsitātem, accusative of cūriōsitās. By surface analysis, curious + -ity. Displaced native Old English firwitt.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.