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Glite Dictionary
to arouse curiosity

to arouse curiosity

3.4
To make someone want to know more
  • phrasal verb
  • /əˈraʊz kəˈrɪəsɪti/
translation icon : despertar curiosidad
  • At eye level, too, their variety—infant, girl, graybeard—arouses curiosity, but the progress of infant, girl, and graybeard can be charted from start to finish, and their mysteries unraveled.

Examples

  • It therefore aroused curiosity, but it took Mrs. Walker's colleagues a while to overcome their respect for her privacy and ask what was in it.

    Fiction book (1995)

  • Like many libraries, we set up informative, eye-catching displays that arouse curiosity in our young patrons.

    Academic text (2015)

  • But I know that I arouse curiosity.

    The Lodger (1944)

  • Arouse curiosity in this first paragraph.

    Blog text (10)

  • The colorful cover of the book will arouse curiosity in any reader who sees it.

  • Her mysterious past began to arouse curiosity among her new friends.

  • The unexpected announcement is likely to arouse curiosity about the upcoming event.

Synonyms

to attract
vsto arouse curiosity
991 1.9

Make people notice or want something

specifically aims to spark a desire to learn rather than only draw attention
to stimulate
vsto arouse curiosity
236 3.7

Make a person or thing more active, alert and responsive

targets the wish to know more specifically rather than general activation
to interest
vsto arouse curiosity
206 1.0

To make someone want to know more about something

focuses more on creating the desire to learn than mere notice
to intrigue
vsto arouse curiosity
143 5.1

To make someone curious or interested

produces a general wish to learn rather than deep fascination
to excite
vsto arouse curiosity
64 2.7

To make something more active, alert or interested

aims at creating the wish to know rather than emotional activation
to elicit
vsto arouse curiosity
  • Formal
40 5.3

To get an answer or other reaction from someone by asking

aims to create a desire to know rather than merely extract a response
to pique
vsto arouse curiosity
26 4.7

To make someone want to know more

builds a more lasting urge to learn rather than a sudden spark
to enkindle
vsto arouse curiosity
  • Archaic
1 9.2

To make someone feel a strong emotion

focuses directly on creating desire to learn rather than general inspiration
to arouse interest
vsto arouse curiosity
3.8

To make someone feel curious about something and want to know more

is the same meaning expressed with a slightly different phrase

Antonyms

to bore
15 1.4

To make someone feel tired or not interested by being dull when you speak

How Curious

to fascinate
238 3.4
to arouse curiosity
3.4
to intrigue
143 5.1

Surface Forms

arouse curiosity infinitive
arousing curiosity present participle
arouses curiosity third person singular
aroused curiosity past
aroused curiosity past participle

Morphology

arouse + curiosity

The meaning 'to stimulate someone's interest' is directly and compositionally derived from 'arouse' (to cause or evoke) plus 'curiosity' (the desire to know). This is a transparent, cross-linguistically common verb + noun combination and would be understandable to a B1 learner who knows both constituents.

Etymology

Arouse curiosity comes from the old idea of arouse meaning 'to wake' and curiosity meaning 'a desire to know'. Imagine a bright poster that 'wakes' a quiet question inside you so you ask 'what is that?'. So it means 'to make someone want to know more'.