Another Word for Curious

Mild · A little, in the background

interested

Something has your attention, but you could walk away.

intrigued

A detail hooked you and you want to know more.

wondering

A quiet question is turning over in your mind.

attentive

You are watching and listening closely.

open

Willing to explore ideas without judging them first.

inquiring

You are asking questions in a calm, thoughtful way.

questioning

You are testing what you have been told.

Moderate · Clearly there, hard to ignore

inquisitive

Eager to learn, often with lots of questions.

eager to know

Plain phrase for curiosity that wants an answer soon.

fascinated

Deeply interested, often by something strange or complex.

absorbed

So interested that time slips past without you noticing.

keen

Sharp, active interest in a topic or activity.

nosy

Informal: curious about other people's business, sometimes too much.

probing

Curiosity that digs beneath the surface for the real answer.

Intense · Strong, taking over

captivated

Your attention is fully held, as if by a spell.

enthralled

Completely gripped, often by a story or performance.

spellbound

So fascinated that you forget everything else.

riveted

You cannot look away from what is happening.

obsessed

Informal: curiosity that has taken over your thoughts.

consumed

The question fills your days and you keep coming back to it.

hooked

Informal: you need to know more and keep going back for it.

I'm curious about the new café.

I'm intrigued by the new café, the line has been out the door all week.

The kids are so curious.

The kids are inquisitive, every answer leads to another why.

I was curious about her past.

I was nosy about her past and asked one question too many.

I got really curious about bees.

I got hooked on bees and read three books in a month.

That documentary made me curious.

That documentary left me fascinated by deep sea animals.