nosy
Americanadjective
adjective
Usage
What does nosy mean? Nosy is used to describe someone who asks too many questions about or otherwise pries 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. A much less common spelling of nosy is nosey. 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 nosy are known for prying, snooping, asking overly personal questions, eavesdropping (listening to other people’s conversations), and generally nosing into other people’s business. Nosy 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 nosy questions about my medical history. Although the term implies a lack of respect for other people’s privacy, calling someone nosy 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 nosy, as in Hey, nosy, quit looking in my notebook. Example: My neighbor is as nosy as they get—she always asks where I’m going when I leave and where I’ve been when I get back!
Other Word Forms
- nosily adverb
- nosiness noun
Etymology
Origin of nosy
Explanation
Someone nosy has a hard time minding their own business. A nosy person pokes their nose into other people’s affairs. Do you know anyone who is always asking personal questions and loves to hear gossip? That person is nosy. Nosy people are a little too concerned with what other people are up to, and they tend to invade the privacy of others. A neighbor who keeps looking in your window is being nosy. Being nosy is always considered a negative trait. Nosy people are snoopy and prying.
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.
Though we hear him get hound-dogged by nosy questions from the press, the closest Elvis comes to snark is when he sits on a stool to play “Little Sister.”
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 19, 2026
Ultrarich investors are often nosy about what their peers at other family offices are up to, and which deals they are getting a peek at.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 26, 2025
I took that as editorial permission to be nosy.
From Salon • Jul. 15, 2025
He would want us to be analytical and good-natured, maybe even a little nosy; not just tolerant, but actively welcoming.
From Salon • Jan. 20, 2025
When it came time to line up and answer the many questions posed by the emperor’s nosy men, the saying among the people was “Keep quiet and you will not get into trouble.”
From "The Ugly One" by Leanne Statland Ellis
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.
