questioning
Americanadjective
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indicating or implying a question.
a questioning tone in her voice.
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characterized by or indicating intellectual curiosity; inquiring.
an alert and questioning mind.
noun
adjective
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proceeding from or characterized by a feeling of doubt or uncertainty
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enthusiastic or eager for philosophical or other investigations; intellectually stimulated
an alert and questioning mind
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of questioning
Explanation
Questioning is an appeal or demand for an answer, or for more information. Sometimes the police will bring a witness to a crime into the station for questioning. When you participate in questioning, you may very well have a questioning look on your face. As an adjective, questioning can mean "curious," "confused or perplexed," or even "skeptical." If you show up at school in a clown costume, your teachers and friends might look at you in a questioning way — or they may dive right into the questioning, demanding: "What on earth are you wearing?"
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Croce said it was a done deal, warned her to stop questioning him and later told the nominating committee she was insubordinate.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 28, 2026
They remained in custody for questioning on Monday.
From BBC • May 25, 2026
Workers who trust AI too much may accept inaccurate information without questioning it, while employees who distrust the technology completely may overlook its potential advantages.
From Science Daily • May 25, 2026
The move had some customers questioning if the app was straying too far from its original purpose.
From Los Angeles Times • May 21, 2026
After three days of intense questioning, Haupt and Wergin were finally released to their remaining relatives in Germany.
From Nazi Saboteurs by Samantha Seiple
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
