nosy
UK /ˈnəʊziː/ · US /ˈnoʊzi/ adjective, noun, verb
Forms nosier nosiest nosies nosying nosied nosey
- adjective Prying, inquisitive or curious in other’s affairs; tending to snoop or meddle. “They built tall fences, yet the nosy neighbors always seemed to know everything about them.”
- adjective Having a large or elongated nose.
- noun (UK, slang) A look at something to satisfy one's curiosity. “I might wander down to the construction site for a nosy at what they're building.”
- noun (childish, rare) A nose.
- verb (informal, with into) To pry into something. “My brother always nosies into my diary.”
Synonyms
Etymology
From nose + -y (adjectival suffix), or from nose + -y (diminutive suffix).
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 — from the Wiktionary entry “nosy”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details