curioso

See also: curiosò

English

Noun

curioso

1. A collector or admirer of curios.

Italian

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Latin cūriōsus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kuˈrjo.zo/, (traditional) /kuˈrjo.so/
• Rhymes: -ozo, (traditional) -oso
• Hyphenation: cu‧rió‧so

Adjective

curioso (feminine curiosa, masculine plural curiosi, feminine plural curiose)

1. curious
2. inquisitive

Derived terms

• curiosare
• curiosamente
• incuriosire

Related terms

• curiosità

Noun

curioso m (plural curiosi, feminine curiosa)

1. busybody, nosy parker
2. rubbernecker

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb

curioso

1. first-person singular present indicative of curiosare

Latin

Adjective

cūriōsō

1. dative/ablative masculine/neuter singular of cūriōsus

Portuguese

Etymology

Inherited from Old Galician-Portuguese curioso, from Latin cūriōsus.

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ku.ɾiˈo.zu/, (faster pronunciation) /kuˈɾjo.zu/

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ku.ɾiˈo.zu/, (faster pronunciation) /kuˈɾjo.zu/
  • (Gaúcho) IPA^(key): /ku.ɾiˈo.zo/, (faster pronunciation) /kuˈɾjo.zo/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /kuˈɾjo.zu/

• Rhymes: -ozu
• Hyphenation: cu‧ri‧o‧so

Adjective

curioso (feminine curiosa, masculine plural curiosos, feminine plural curiosas, diminutive curiosinho, metaphonic)

2. curious; inquisitive (tending to ask questions, investigate or explore)
4. curious; odd; out of the ordinary

   Synonyms: estranho, bizarro

Noun

curioso m (plural curiosos, feminine curiosa, feminine plural curiosas, metaphonic)

2. one who is curious, inquisitive
3. rubbernecker
   • 2026 January 25, Giovanna Kunz, “Hotel Torre Palace é implodido e atrai curiosos ao Setor Hoteleiro Norte [Torre Palace Hotel is imploded and attracts rubberneckers to the Northern Hotel Sector]”, in Correio Braziliense‎^[1], Brasília, archived from the original on 25 January 2026:

     Mesmo com as restrições, o evento atraiu moradores e curiosos, que se concentraram em pontos considerados seguros, especialmente em trechos próximos à Torre de TV, de onde era possível acompanhar a implosão com boa visibilidade.

     Even with resctrictions, the event attracted residents and rubberneckers, that gathered in places regarded safe, specially in stretches near the TV tower, where it was possible to watch the implosion with good visibility.

Further reading

• “curioso”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026
• “curioso”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026

Spanish

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *né

Proto-Indo-European *n̥-

Proto-Italic *n̥-

Latin in-

Proto-Indo-European *kʷey-

Proto-Indo-European *kʷeys-der.

Proto-Italic *kʷoizā

Latin cūra

Proto-Indo-European *-(i)yós

Proto-Italic *-ijos

Proto-Italic *-ios

Old Latin -ios

Latin -ius

Latin -ia

Latin incūria

Proto-Indo-European *h₃ed-

Proto-Indo-European *-os

Proto-Indo-European *h₃édosder.?

Proto-Italic *-ŏ̄dsos?

Old Latin -ōssus

Latin -ōsus

Latin incūriōsusbf.

Latin cūriōsusbor.

Spanish curioso

Borrowed from Latin cūriōsus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kuˈɾjoso/ [kuˈɾjo.so]

• Audio (Venezuela):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -oso
• Syllabification: cu‧rio‧so

Adjective

curioso (feminine curiosa, masculine plural curiosos, feminine plural curiosas)

1. curious, inquisitive (person)
2. interesting

   Synonym: interesante

3. funny, strange, odd
4. quaint

   Synonym: pintoresco

Derived terms

• curiosidad
• curiosón

Related terms

• cura
• curar
• curatela
• incuria
• seguro

Noun

curioso m (plural curiosos, feminine curiosa, feminine plural curiosas)

1. gawker, onlooker

Further reading

• “curioso”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025