Nosey Definition & Meaning

American

British

Usage

Examples

Related Words

Synonyms nosey American [noh-zee] / ˈnoʊ zi /

adjective

nosier, nosiest

1. a variant of nosy.

nosey British / ˈnəʊzɪ /

adjective

1. a variant spelling of nosy

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Usage

What does nosey mean? Nosey is used to describe someone who asks too many questions about or otherwise prys 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.Nosey is more commonly spelled nosy.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 nosey are known for prying, snooping, asking overly personal questions, eavesdropping (listening to other people’s conversations), and generally nosing into other people’s business.Nosey 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 nosey questions about my medical history. Although the term implies a lack of respect for other people’s privacy, calling someone nosey 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 nosey, as in Hey, nosey, quit looking in my notebook. Example: My neighbor is as nosey as they get—she always asks where I’m going when I leave and where I’ve been when I get back!

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"It's not being rude or being nosey, I need to know from a planning point of view because it's the change that I work."

From BBC

They keep dancing with their foreheads and noses touching, upon which she starts laughing because she feels "so nosey".

From BBC

Ms Tanner, also defending Hardy, said he only went to the hotel to be nosey, but ended up doing something he admitted was "deplorable".

From BBC

“Madonna, you know how hard it is for us #disabled folk to be getting out to these shows, from ticketing to nosey stares?,” she wrote.

From Los Angeles Times

“I was nosey, and from school, I would stop at the cabinetmaker’s and stand by the door and sometimes he invited me in and put a tool in my hand,” Teti said.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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• acrid
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.