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nosey

nosey

8 5.5
Showing too much interest in other people's private lives
  • adjective
  • /ˈnoʊ.zi/
  • UK
translation icon : entrometido
  • Nosey neighbors.
  • a nosey little
  • so nosey

Every lifetime I've been a fat, old, nosy Jewish woman that is always in trouble with her big mouth.

Examples

  • Forgive me for asking a couple of potentially nosey questions?

    Blog text (7)
  • Her nosey behavior often irritated her friends, who valued their privacy.

  • Being nosey was what caused me to set off the alarm!

    Blog text (3)
  • I hope I'm not being nosey.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • I don't wish to be nosey, but what did you do before you married Peter?

  • This is just a case of some nosey busybody doing what they do best: gossip.

    Blog text (14)
  • Kurt hates the BFF because she's nosey and likes to gossip.

    Blog text (32)
  • I don't want to be nosey, but I couldn't help overhearing your conversation.

  • He asked a very nosey question about my personal life, which caught me off guard.

Synonyms

nosy
vsnosey
  • Offensive
60 3.4

Too interested in other people's private life in an annoying way

is more strongly intrusive and offending than mere general curiosity
intrusive
vsnosey
52 6.1

Entering where you are not wanted and disturbing someone's privacy

is about excessive interest that offends privacy rather than entering someone's space
inquisitive
vsnosey
25 4.4

Wanting to know or learn things, sometimes too nosy

is excessive and offensive interest rather than simple or neutral curiosity
meddlesome
vsnosey
8 7.2

Tending to get involved in other people's business and annoy them

is intrusive curiosity that annoys by asking rather than by acting
snoopy
vsnosey
1 8.4

A person who is too interested in other people's private lives

is about intrusive interest that offends rather than harmless curiosity
overcurious
vsnosey
1 7.9

Too curious about things that do not concern you

is intrusive by offending privacy rather than being merely curious
prying
vsnosey
7.0

Showing too much interest in other people's private lives in an annoying way

is excessive interest that offends privacy rather than simple curiosity
busy-bodied
vsnosey
  • Offensive
8.4

A person who tries to find out or change other people's private lives

is intrusive interest that annoys by prying rather than active meddling
interfering
vsnosey
5.7

A person who tries to control other people's lives

is excessive interest that mainly offends by prying rather than by control

Antonyms

20 3.5

Not wanting to know about or take part in something

3.7

Not willing to show feelings or talk much

Compounds

1 8.2

A person who is too interested in other people's private matters

9.1

A person who tries to find out what other people are doing when it does not concern them

How Nosey

intrusive
52 6.1
prying
7.0
nosey
  • UK
8 5.5
inquisitive
25 4.4
interested
1.0

Surface Forms

nosey positive
nosier comparative
nosiest superlative

Morphology

nosey = nose (transparent) = nose + y

The adjective is a straightforward derivation from 'nose' + '-y', meaning 'given to nosing around', which learners can infer from the base.

Etymology

Nosey comes from the simple word nose — imagine someone 'sticking their nose into' a neighbour's window or conversation. That's why nosey means being too curious about other people's lives and bothering them.