nosy

nosy — adjective

1. describes someone whose interest in other people's private lives or belongings g

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

describes someone whose interest in other people's private lives or belongings goes beyond what is socially acceptable — for instance, reading a letter that was not addressed to them, or asking a stranger about their salary.

Example

Christopher's nosy neighbour kept peeking through the curtains whenever someone visited the house.

nosy + noun: nosy neighbour

Élise told her nosy coworker she would not discuss her weekend plans.

Common collocations
  • nosy neighbour
  • nosy relative
  • nosy journalist
  • nosy coworker
  • too nosy
  • a bit nosy
  • incredibly nosy
Synonyms
  • curious

    neutral or positive; nosy is always negative

  • inquisitive

    more formal and can be neutral; nosy is informal and critical

  • prying

    similar disapproval but emphasises the act of actively seeking hidden information

  • intrusive

    focuses on the effect (invading privacy) rather than the motivation

Antonyms
  • discreet

    careful not to cause embarrassment or reveal private information

  • respectful

    shows proper regard for others' boundaries

Grammar Patterns

be + nosy

nosy + noun

Usage Note

Always carries a critical tone — calling someone nosy is an insult. Frequently describes neighbours, relatives, colleagues, or journalists.

Common Mistakes

My son is very nosy about how engines work.
My son is very curious about how engines work.
'nosy' is only negative and about people's private affairs, not general interest or learning.

nosy — noun

Word family

  • nosily
    adverbB2
  • nosiness
    nounB2
  • nosey
    adjectiveB1
  • nosy parker
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

Nosy, curious, inquisitive, and prying all describe a desire to find out about something, but they differ sharply in tone. Nosy is always disapproving: it means poking into matters that are not your business, especially other people's private lives. Curious is the broadest and most neutral word — a curious child asks why the sky is blue, which is positive; but a 'curious neighbour' can edge toward nosy depending on context. Inquisitive is more formal and can be neutral or even admirable ('an inquisitive mind'), though it too can imply excessive questioning. Prying carries the strongest disapproval and suggests actively and persistently trying to uncover secrets that someone is hiding. If you say 'She is nosy', you are criticising her character; if you say 'She is prying', you are criticising a specific action. Choose curious for general interest, inquisitive for intellectual curiosity, nosy for informal criticism of a personality trait, and prying for active snooping behaviour.

nosy ↗curious ↗inquisitive ↗prying

Common collocations

Nouns

  • nosy neighbour
  • nosy relative
  • nosy journalist
  • nosy coworker
  • nosy landlord
  • nosy parker

Adverbs

  • terribly nosy
  • incredibly nosy
  • a bit nosy
  • rather nosy
  • slightly nosy

Phrases

  • have a nosy around
  • have a nosy at
  • get nosy about

Prepositions

  • nosy about
  • nosy around
  • nosy into

Etymology

Old English (nosu)English (nose)English (nosy)

Formed from the noun 'nose' plus the suffix '-y' (meaning 'having the quality of'). The core idea is that a nosy person metaphorically 'sticks their nose into' other people's affairs — the nose represents intrusive curiosity. First recorded in the early 1800s, originally in the longer phrase 'nosy parker', which became a common British slang term for a busybody.