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nosy
[noh-zee]
adjective
unduly curious about the affairs of others; prying; meddlesome.
nosy
/ ˈəʊɪ /
adjective
informalprying or inquisitive
Other Word Forms
- nosily adverb
- nosiness noun
- ˈԴDz adverb
- ˈԴDzԱ noun
Example Sentences
Not only am I a journalist, but I’m a film critic, and I’m both of those things because I’m extremely nosy and because I want to make the world a better, more beautiful place.
He would want us to be analytical and good-natured, maybe even a little nosy; not just tolerant, but actively welcoming.
Agatha’s mental wall dropping and letting Billy in proves she has made great strides to being more than just the nosy neighbor with a rune-laden cave in her basement.
With a background in psychology Emma happily calls herself “a bit of a nosy people watcher”.
It's a useful reminder that secret ballots remain secret, even from nosy spouses.
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Related Words
When To Use
Nosy is used to describe someone who asks too many questions about or otherwise pries into other people’s business because they are overly curious about it. It’s especially used to describe someone who does this all the time.A much less common spelling of nosy is nosey.The related phrasal verbs nose in and stick one’s nose in mean to get into other people’s business—to pry or snoop.People who are considered nosy are known for prying, snooping, asking overly personal questions, eavesdropping (listening to other people’s conversations), and generally nosing into other people’s business.Nosy can also be used to describe such a person’s behavior and the kinds of questions they ask, as in I ignored all of his nosy questions about my medical history. Although the term implies a lack of respect for other people’s privacy, calling someone nosy is usually only mildly negative and is often somewhat playful. It’s not usually used in situations that involve serious or harmful violations of privacy.The word is sometimes used to address or refer to someone as a way of saying that they are nosy, as in Hey, nosy, quit looking in my notebook. Example: My neighbor is as nosy as they get—she always asks where I’m going when I leave and where I’ve been when I get back!
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