| Main Entry: | |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | probing |
| Synonyms: | curious, experimental, exploratory, fact-finding, inquiring, inquisitive, penetrating, seeking, sharp, studious |
| Main Entry: | analytic/analytical |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | examining and determining |
| Synonyms: | cogent, conclusive, detailed, diagnostic, discrete, dissecting, explanatory, expository, inquiring, inquisitive, interpretive, investigative, judicious, logical, organized, penetrating, perceptive, perspicuous, precise, problem-solving, questioning, ratiocinative, rational, reasonable, scientific, searching, solid, sound, studious, subtle, systematic, testing, thorough, valid, well-grounded |
| Main Entry: | crucial |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | critical, important |
| Synonyms: | acute, central, clamorous, climacteric, climatic, compelling, deciding, decisive, desperate, dire, essential, hanging by thread, high-priority, imperative, insistent, momentous, necessary, on thin ice, pivotal, pressing, searching, showdown, touch and go, touchy, urgent, vital |
| Notes: | the words crucial, essential, and vital cannot be qualified (cannot be more or less...) |
| Antonyms: | inessential, trivial, uncritical, unimportant |
| Main Entry: | curiosity |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | intense desire to know, understand |
| Synonyms: | concern, eagerness, inquiring mind, inquiringness, inquisitiveness, interest, interestingness, intrusiveness, investigation, meddlesomeness, meddling, mental acquisitiveness, nosiness, officiousness, prying, questioning, regard, searching, snoopiness, snooping, thirst for knowledge |
| Antonyms: | disinterest, indifference |
| Main Entry: | curious |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | desiring knowledge, understanding |
| Synonyms: | analytical, disquisitive, examining, impertinent, inquiring, inquisitive, inspecting, interested, interfering, intrusive, investigative, meddlesome, meddling, nosy, peeping, peering, prurient, prying, puzzled, questioning, scrutinizing, searching, snoopy, tampering |
| Antonyms: | disinterested, incurious, indifferent, uninterested |
| Main Entry: | inquiring |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | wondering, curious |
| Synonyms: | Socratic, analytical, catechistic, doubtful, examining, fact-finding, heuristic, inquisitive, interested, interrogative, investigative, investigatory, nosy, outward-looking, probing, prying, questioning, quizzical, searching, speculative, studious |
| Antonyms: | disinterested, incurious, unskeptical |
| Main Entry: | inquisitive |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | curious |
| Synonyms: | analytical, big-eyed, challenging, forward, impertinent, inquiring, inquisitorial, interested, intrusive, investigative, meddlesome, meddling, nosy, peering, personal, poking, presumptuous, probing, prying, questioning, scrutinizing, searching, sifting, snooping, speculative |
| Antonyms: | incurious, indifferent, unconcerned, uninterested |
| Main Entry: | nosy |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | curious; prying |
| Synonyms: | eavesdropping, inquisitive, inquisitorial, inquisitory, interested, interfering, intermeddling, intrusive, meddlesome, personal, searching, snooping, snoopy |
| Antonyms: | indifferent, uncaring, unconcerned, uninterested |
| Main Entry: | observant |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | alert, watchful |
| Synonyms: | advertent, alive, attentive, bright, clear-sighted, comprehending, considering, contemplating, correct, deducing, detecting, discerning, discovering, discriminating, eager, eagle-eyed, heedful, intelligent, intentive, interested, keen, mindful, not missing a trick, obedient, observative, on one's toes, on the ball, penetrating, perceptive, questioning, quick, regardful, searching, sensitive, sharp, sharp-eyed, surveying, understanding, vigilant, wide-awake |
| Antonyms: | careless, inattentive, indifferent, thoughtless, unaware, unmindful, unobservant, unwatchful |