What does noser mean?
A noser is a person who takes an excessive interest in other people's affairs. The word is informal and generally carries a mildly disparaging or teasing tone, suggesting that the person's curiosity is intrusive and that their attention to matters outside their own concern is unwarranted. A noser may be characterized by asking personal questions, reading private messages, listening in on conversations, or trying to influence decisions that should not concern them. The related adjective is nosy, and the expression “nosy noser” is a playful but redundant way of emphasizing these traits. Although the word can describe anyone from a gossiping acquaintance to a persistent investigator, its everyday implication is usually humorous rather than severe. It is especially common in British English, though it is readily understood in American, Canadian, and Australian English as well.
nounAn informal term for a person who pries into other people's affairs or meddles in matters that do not concern them.
- A person who pries into other people's affairs, asks intrusive questions, or meddles in unrelated matters.
"He is a bit of a noser, always asking questions about his colleagues."
"Our neighbour is an inveterate noser who somehow knows the details of every dispute on the street."
"The committee rejected the proposal because an outside noser had begun influencing its deliberations."
The regular plural is nosers.
"Several nosers were asking about the investigation."
A noser is someone who cannot resist putting their nose into other people's business.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does noser come from?
The word dates from the 19th century and was formed from nose with the suffix -er, literally making it a person who uses their nose to investigate or interfere. Nose itself comes from Old English nosu and has relatives in other Germanic languages, while words such as nostril, nasal, and nozzle reflect the broader Latin root associated with the nose. In modern usage, the literal image of someone putting their nose into other people's business has shaped the word's figurative sense.
How noser is actually used
Informal and usually mildly derogatory. It is especially associated with British English but is also understood in North American and other varieties of English. The term is often humorous when applied playfully to an inquisitive person.
Easily confused with noser
Nosy is normally an adjective describing a person, whereas noser is an informal noun naming that person.