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Enquire vs Curious - What's the difference?

enquire | curious |

As a verb enquire

is to make an enquiry.

As an adjective curious is

(lb) fastidious, particular; demanding a high standard of excellence, difficult to satisfy.

enquire

English

Alternative forms

* inquire (chiefly US)

Verb

(enquir)
  • To make an enquiry.
    • He enquired about the availability of rental bicycles in the town.
  • (archaic) To ask about (something).
  • * (rfdate) (John Milton)
    • ''Having thus at length enquired the truth concerning Law and dispense.
  • * (rfdate) (Byron)
    • And all obey and few enquire his will.

    Usage notes

    (unreferenced) In the USA, inquire' is generally used in place of '''enquire'''. Where '''enquire''' is used (particularly in the UK), it means a non-official enquiry (such as to ask a question), whereas '''inquire''' is used in legal or government context where official transcripts are generated. In the USA, this distinction is not made and ' inquire is used generally.

    Related terms

    * enquiry

    curious

    English

    Adjective

    (en-adj)
  • (lb) Fastidious, particular; demanding a high standard of excellence, difficult to satisfy.
  • *1612 , , Proceedings of the English Colonie in Virginia , in Kupperman 1988, p.172:
  • *:But departing thence, when we found no houses, we were not curious in any weather, to lie 3 or 4 nights together upon any shore under the trees by a good fire.
  • *(Thomas Fuller) (1606-1661)
  • *:little curious in her clothes
  • Inquisitive; tending to ask questions, investigate, or explore.
  • :
  • Prompted by curiosity.
  • *1590 , (Edmund Spenser), (The Faerie Queene) , III.ix:
  • *:But he to shift their curious request, / Gan causen, why she could not come in place.
  • Unusual; odd; out of the ordinary; bizarre.
  • :
  • *
  • *:Captain Edward Carlisle, soldier as he was, martinet as he was, felt a curious sensation of helplessness seize upon him as he met her steady gaze, her alluring smile?; he could not tell what this prisoner might do.
  • (lb) Exhibiting care or nicety; artfully constructed; elaborate; wrought with elegance or skill.
  • *(Bible), (w) xxxv.32
  • *:to devise curious works
  • *(William Shakespeare) (c.1564–1616)
  • *:his body couched in a curious bed

    • Related terms

    * curiosity (noun) * curio