What does busybody mean?
A busybody is a person who takes an excessive, unwelcome interest in the private lives and affairs of others — someone who pries, meddles, and interferes where they have no business doing so. The word is invariably disapproving: calling someone a busybody suggests nosiness rather than genuine concern or helpfulness. It appears most often in informal contexts, applied to neighbours who monitor the street, colleagues who poke into office politics, or relatives who ask intrusive questions. Related expressions include 'nosy parker' in British English and 'meddler' or 'snoop' more generally. The word's charm lies in its transparent construction — it combines the adjective 'busy' with the noun 'body', literally describing a person whose busyness is entirely devoted to other people's business. First recorded in the early seventeenth century, it remains a vivid, everyday term for unwanted interference.
nounA person who is excessively interested in other people's private affairs, often meddling or prying where they are not welcome.
- A meddlesome person who interferes in other people's affairs.
"The neighbourhood busybody was quick to report every overgrown hedge on the street."
"She was such a busybody that she knew everyone's salary, diet, and divorce status."
"He resented being labelled a busybody when he only asked a few polite questions."
Standard plural; the y changes to ies as with most nouns ending in consonant + y.
"The committee meeting attracted the usual busybodies from across town."
The word 'busybody' literally fuses 'busy' and 'body' — an entire person whose full-time occupation is minding your business.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of busybody
Busybody is a straightforward English compound of 'busy' and 'body', first attested in the early seventeenth century. Its formation follows a pattern of humorous compounds describing people defined by a single trait. It has no foreign cognates; its components trace back through Middle English to Old English roots.
Related word forms
How busybody is actually used
Informal to neutral register; almost always pejorative. Common in British English ('nosy parker' is a chiefly British synonym) and equally at home in American English.
Easily confused with busybody
A gossip spreads information about others' affairs, whereas a busybody actively pries into and meddles in them.