inquisitive meaning

inquisitive means 'eager to learn or know more about something'.

inquisitive :

curious, eager to know

adjective

▪ The inquisitive child asked many questions.

▪ The curious child asked many questions.

▪ She has an inquisitive mind.

▪ She has a curious mind.

paraphrasing

▪ curious – eager to know

▪ nosy – too interested in others

▪ probing – searching deeply

▪ inquiring – asking questions

inquisitive

Pronunciation

inquisitive [ɪnˈkwɪzɪtɪv]

The stress is on 'kwiz' and sounds like 'in-kwiz-i-tiv'.

Common phrases and grammar about inquisitive

inquisitive - Common meaning

adjective
curious, eager to know

Part of Speech Changes for "inquisitive"

▪ inquisitiveness (noun) – eagerness to know

▪ inquisitively (adverb) – in a curious manner

Common Expressions with "inquisitive"

▪ inquisitive nature – curious character

▪ inquisitive questions – curious questions

▪ inquisitive mind – curious mind

▪ inquisitive look – curious look

Important examples of inquisitive in TOEIC

Vocabulary examples from the TOEIC test

In TOEIC vocabulary questions, inquisitive is often used to describe someone eager to learn.

▪The manager praised her inquisitive nature.
▪The manager liked her curious character.

Example of a confusing word: acquisitive (eager to acquire)

▪The manager praised her acquisitive nature.
▪The manager liked her eager-to-acquire character.
"Inquisitive" means "eager to learn" or "curious," and it is used to describe someone who is keen on gaining knowledge. In the sentence "The manager praised her inquisitive nature," it is grammatically correct and conveys the intended meaning. "Acquisitive," however, means "eager to acquire," usually referring to material possessions or wealth. It does not fit well in this context because it changes the meaning to someone who is focused on acquiring things rather than learning. Therefore, "inquisitive" is the correct choice here.

Grammar examples from the TOEIC test

In TOEIC grammar questions, inquisitive is often used as an adjective to describe a person's trait.

▪He has an inquisitive mind.
▪He has a curious mind.

inquisitive

Idioms and fixed expressions in TOEIC

inquisitive nature

'curious character', used to describe someone who loves learning.

▪Her inquisitive nature leads her to explore new ideas.
▪Her curious character makes her explore new ideas.

inquisitive as a cat

means 'very curious', used to describe someone who is always asking questions.

▪He is as inquisitive as a cat.
▪He is very curious.

Differences between similar words and inquisitive

inquisitive

,

curious

differences

Inquisitive often implies a deeper desire to understand, while curious can be more general interest.

inquisitive
▪The student was inquisitive about science.
▪The student was eager to know about science.
curious
▪She was curious about the new movie.
▪She was interested in the new movie.
inquisitive

Words with the same origin as inquisitive

The origin of inquisitive

inquisitive comes from the Latin 'inquisitivus', which means 'eager to seek or inquire'.

Word structure

It has the prefix in (into), root quisit (to seek), and suffix ive (adjective), so inquisitive means 'seeking into'.

Words with the same origin

The root of inquisitive is quisit (to seek). Words with the same root include inquire (to ask), require (to need).

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