Meaning & use
nosy
Last updated
UK/ˈnəʊzi/
US/ˈnoʊzi/
Usage warning: this word is disapproving. It shows a negative opinion, so take care with who and what you use it about.
Meaning
adjectivecomparableinformaldisapproving
Too interested in other people's private lives or business, in a way that annoys them.
Grammar: Used before a noun or after be: a nosy neighbor, she is nosy.
Patterns
- nosy about something
Our nosy neighbor watches everyone who walks past.
I don't mean to be nosy, but where did you get that car?
He got nosy about my emails.
Word forms
| comparative | nosier |
|---|---|
| superlative | nosiest |
Common combinations
- nosy neighbor
- The nosy neighbor asked who our visitors were.
- don't be nosy
- Don't be nosy, that letter is private.
- nosy parker
- He is a real nosy parker.
- sorry to be nosy
- Sorry to be nosy, but are you moving house?
Synonyms and how they differ
- inquisitive
- Is neutral or even positive and just means eager to learn, while nosy always sounds critical.
- prying
- Stresses the act of secretly looking into private matters.
- curious
- Is usually harmless and does not imply the person is invading privacy.
Opposites
Word family
- nosiness noun
- the habit of being too curious about others
- nosily adverb
- in a prying way
Commonly confused: nosy or nosey?
nosy vs nosey
Nosey is a less common variant spelling of nosy; both are correct.
Practice
Which person would you most likely call nosy?
Choose one answer.
Nosy describes unwelcome interest in private matters. The other people ask questions that are appropriate to the situation.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “nosy”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.
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