Nosy means being too curious about other people's private business. A nosy person asks prying questions, listens in on conversations that don't concern them, or tries to find out things they have no real reason to know. If your neighbor keeps peeking through your windows to see what your family is doing, that's being nosy. If someone reads your diary without permission or constantly asks why you're texting someone, they're being nosy.

There's an important difference between showing genuine care and being nosy. When a friend asks how you're feeling because they notice you seem sad, that's thoughtful. But when someone demands to know every detail about your birthday party just because they're curious, that's nosy. When a classmate keeps asking what grade you got on a test after you've said you don't want to share, they're crossing the line into nosy territory.

The word has a negative feeling to it. Nobody likes being called nosy because it suggests they don't respect other people's privacy or boundaries. Sometimes people defend their nosiness by saying they're just interested or trying to help, but real interest respects when someone wants to keep something private.