The best word for someone who likes to try new things is usually adventurous. Depending on what drives them, you might instead call them curious, open-minded, experimental, or venturesome. Some words fit everyday experiences, while others are better for ideas, work, travel, or risk-taking.
New-Experience Descriptors at a Glance
- Adventurous
- Curious
- Open-minded
- Experimental
- Exploratory
- Venturesome
- Daring
- Inquisitive
- Spontaneous
- Innovative
- Pioneering
- Enterprising
- Bold
- Risk-taking
- Novelty-seeking
Best Words by Context
- General personality: adventurous or curious.
- Open to unfamiliar ideas or experiences: open-minded.
- Likes testing different approaches: experimental.
- Travel and experiences: exploratory or venturesome.
- Work and ideas: innovative, pioneering, or enterprising.
- Comfortable with uncertainty: daring, bold, or risk-taking.
Adventurous
The strongest general-purpose word. An adventurous person enjoys unfamiliar experiences and is willing to step outside their usual routine.
Example: She’s adventurous and will try almost any new activity once.
Curious
Best when the person tries new things because they want to learn, discover, or understand.
Example: He’s naturally curious and always wants to see how something new works.
Open-minded
Describes someone willing to consider unfamiliar ideas, approaches, foods, cultures, or experiences without dismissing them immediately.
Example: She’s very open-minded about trying different ways of doing things.
Experimental
Useful when someone deliberately tests new methods, styles, recipes, technologies, or creative approaches.
Example: His cooking is experimental—he’s always trying unusual combinations.
Exploratory
Suggests a desire to investigate possibilities rather than stick to a familiar route. It is especially useful for travel, research, design, and creative work.
Example: She takes an exploratory approach to travel and rarely follows a fixed itinerary.
Venturesome
A less common but precise word for someone willing to take chances and embark on new or potentially risky experiences.
Example: His venturesome nature took him from one new project to another.
Daring
Stronger than adventurous. It implies willingness to do something bold, difficult, or risky.
Example: She’s daring enough to try things most of us would hesitate to attempt.
Inquisitive
Similar to curious but with a stronger emphasis on asking questions and seeking knowledge.
Example: He has an inquisitive mind and is always exploring unfamiliar subjects.
Spontaneous
Fits someone willing to try things without extensive planning. It describes how they act rather than necessarily a lasting love of novelty.
Example: She’s spontaneous and rarely needs much persuading to try something different.
Innovative
Best for someone who introduces or embraces new ideas and methods, especially in professional, technical, or creative settings.
Example: He’s an innovative designer who is constantly testing new approaches.
Pioneering
Describes someone among the first to try, develop, or introduce something new. It carries a stronger sense of originality and leadership.
Example: Her pioneering work opened up an entirely new way of treating the problem.
Enterprising
Suggests initiative, resourcefulness, and willingness to pursue new opportunities, particularly in work or business.
Example: An enterprising person, she was quick to test a new service model.
Bold
A broad word for someone confident enough to make unfamiliar or unconventional choices.
Example: It was a bold decision to change careers and start again in a new field.
Risk-taking
Directly describes someone comfortable taking risks. It does not necessarily mean they enjoy novelty for its own sake.
Example: His risk-taking personality makes him comfortable with uncertain opportunities.
Novelty-seeking
A more technical description for a tendency to pursue new, varied, or stimulating experiences. It can sound clinical, so it is less suitable for casual compliments.
Example: The study measured novelty-seeking as one aspect of personality.
The Best General Choice for “Someone Who Likes to Try New Things”
If you simply want a positive everyday word for someone who enjoys new experiences, adventurous is usually the most natural choice. Use curious when learning is the motivation and open-minded when the emphasis is willingness to consider something unfamiliar.