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incuriate, verb
Pronunciation: /ɪnˈkjʊərieɪt/
Etymology: Derived from Latin in- (into, upon) + curiosus (full of care, inquisitive). Formed by analogy with infuriate and ebulliate.
Definition
1. transitive. To deliberately provoke or incite a state of intense curiosity in (a person); to render someone inquisitive through the use of mystery, ambiguity, or partial disclosure.
2. intransitive (rare). To become obsessed with the resolution of a puzzle or unknown fact.
Synonyms & Antonyms
• Synonyms: Pique, galvanize, tantalize, intrigue, stimulate.
• Antonyms: Bore, satisfy, clarify, blunt, stultify.
Usage Note
While often confused with incurious (the adjective for lacking interest), incuriate functions strictly as a "dynamic verb." One does not be incuriate; one is incuriated by an external enigma.
Pronunciation: /ɪnˈkjʊərieɪt/
Etymology: Derived from Latin in- (into, upon) + curiosus (full of care, inquisitive). Formed by analogy with infuriate and ebulliate.
Definition
1. transitive. To deliberately provoke or incite a state of intense curiosity in (a person); to render someone inquisitive through the use of mystery, ambiguity, or partial disclosure.
2. intransitive (rare). To become obsessed with the resolution of a puzzle or unknown fact.
Synonyms & Antonyms
• Synonyms: Pique, galvanize, tantalize, intrigue, stimulate.
• Antonyms: Bore, satisfy, clarify, blunt, stultify.
Usage Note
While often confused with incurious (the adjective for lacking interest), incuriate functions strictly as a "dynamic verb." One does not be incuriate; one is incuriated by an external enigma.
“The stranger’s refusal to open the gilded locket did more to incuriate the dinner guests than any grand revelation could have achieved.”
“A master of the suspense genre does not merely interest his reader; he seeks to incuriate them until the final page is turned.”
“The cryptic update to the server’s source code incuriated the architects, leading to a weekend-long deep dive into the temporal math modules.”
“A master of the suspense genre does not merely interest his reader; he seeks to incuriate them until the final page is turned.”
“The cryptic update to the server’s source code incuriated the architects, leading to a weekend-long deep dive into the temporal math modules.”
by Art Boss March 25, 2026
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