prying

adjective
UK: /ˈpraɪ.ɪŋ/
US: /ˈpraɪ.ɪŋ/

  1. Excessively interested in someone else's private affairs; nosy.

    1. She hated her neighbor's prying eyes watching her every move.
    2. It felt like a prying invasion of privacy when they asked about my salary.

Synonyms

nosy inquisitive curious intrusive
prying verb

  1. Inquiring too closely into a person's private affairs.

    1. I don't like prying, it's bad.
    2. Her prying questions made me uncomfortable during the interview.

  2. To look or inquire closely or secretly in order to find something.

    1. He was prying into her desk drawer when she walked in.
    2. Stop prying around in my personal belongings it is really not nice.
prying noun

  1. The action of inquiring too deeply into someone else's private matters.

    1. Her prying made me mad.
    2. I found their prying into my life intrusive and unacceptable.

Frequently Asked Questions

The phonetic transcription of "prying" is /ˈpraɪ.ɪŋ/ in British English and /ˈpraɪ.ɪŋ/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "prying": nosy, inquisitive, curious, intrusive.

Example usage of "prying": "She hated her neighbor's prying eyes watching her every move.". More examples on the page.