curiously

cu·ri·ous·ly
C3U1R1I1O1U1S1L1Y4
UK/ˈkjʊə.ɹi.əs.li/UK/ˈkjɔːɹi.əs.li/US/ˈkjʊɹ.i.əs.li/US/ˈkjɝ.i.əs.li/

adverb

In a curious manner; with curiosity; inquisitively.

“The children peeped curiously into the attic room.”

Less commonScrabble 14

Meanings

adverbcuriously (comparative more curiously, superlative most curiously)

comparative more curiously · superlative most curiously

  1. In a curious manner; with curiosity; inquisitively.

    The children peeped curiously into the attic room.

  2. Oddly; in a strange or unexpected way.

    Curiously, when I arrived home, the front door was standing ajar.

    2 more examples

    Performing a curiously melancholy, undulating developpe, the dancers point their legs at each other like accusing fingers.

    1988 October 7, Laura Molzahn, “Between Heaven and the Gargabe Can”, in Chicago Reader, archived from the original on 06 Mar 2016

    “The Life of a Showgirl” doesn’t quite fulfill this prophecy — or, rather, it delivers only technically. It is a work of hyperprofessional songcraft and production, but its emotional texture is curiously flat and joyless.

    2025 October 16, Mitch Therieau, “Taylor Swift Is Our Biggest Cinematic Universe. But the Magic Is Fading.”, in The New York Times Magazine, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 18 Oct 2025

Synonyms & antonyms

adverbin a manner differing from the usual or expected

adverbwith curiosity

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Middle Englishcuriusly
  2. Englishcuriously

From Middle English curiusly, curyously, curiosly, curiouseliche, curyouslyche, equivalent to curious + -ly.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Catalan curiosament, curiosament
  • curiosamentinquisitively
  • curiosamentoddly
Czech zvědavě, zvláštně
  • zvědavěinquisitively
  • zvláštněoddly
  • podivněoddly
Esperanto scivole, kurioze
  • scivoleinquisitively
  • kuriozeoddly
Hungarian kíváncsian, furcsán
  • kíváncsianinquisitively
  • furcsánoddly
  • furánoddly
  • különösenoddly
Italian curiosamente, curiosamente
  • curiosamenteinquisitively
  • curiosamenteoddly
Spanish curiosamente
  • curiosamenteoddly
Cite this entry
APA

curiously. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/curiously

MLA

“curiously.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/curiously. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “curiously,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/curiously.

Source: curiously on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.