prying

Thân thiện

The neighbor's prying eyes watched from behind the curtain.

Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Offensively curious or inquisitive: Showing excessive interest in the private affairs of others, in a way that is intrusive or unwelcome.

2. Noun:

   • Offensive inquisitiveness: The act of being offensively curious or of inquiring too closely into private matters.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:

  • I felt uncomfortable under the reporter's prying questions.
  • She gave a prying look at the documents on my desk.
  • They resented the prying attention from the media.

• Noun:

  • His constant prying into my personal life damaged our friendship.
  • The article was condemned as an invasion of privacy and an act of prying.

Advanced Usage

• "prying eyes": A common phrase referring to people who are looking at something they should not see, implying a secret or private matter that needs protection.
  • She kept the confidential letter locked away from prying eyes.

Variants and Related Words

• To pry (verb): To inquire impertinently into someone's private affairs. (e.g., )
• Pry (noun, chiefly North American): A tool for levering something open. (Note: This is a different word with a different meaning and origin.)

Synonyms

• Adjective: Nosy, snooping, inquisitive, intrusive, meddlesome.
• Noun: Snooping, meddling, intrusiveness.

Antonyms

• Adjective: Discreet, unobtrusive, respectful.
• Noun: Discretion, respect for privacy.

Related Phrases

• Pry into/ about/ around: (Phrasal verb form of 'to pry') To try to discover private information.
  • The detective was accused of prying into matters that were not part of the investigation.

Học thuật

Adjective

1. offensively curious or inquisitive
   • curious about the neighbor's doings
   • he flipped through my letters in his nosy way
   • prying eyes
   • the snoopy neighbor watched us all day

Noun

1. offensive inquisitiveness

Từ đồng nghĩa

• nosy
• nosey
• snoopy
• nosiness
• snoopiness