loaded question

Idioms  

1. A question heavy with meaning or emotional impact, as in When he inquired after Helen's ex-husband, that was a loaded question. This term employs loaded in the sense of “charged with hidden implication.” [Mid-1900s]

---

Example Sentences

It boils down to a single, loaded question: Is BTS straying too far from K-pop in trying to woo the world?

From BBC • Apr. 8, 2026

Then there’s Scott, who asked Harris a loaded question during a recent news conference: “Who do you like more, JK Scott or Cameron Dicker?”

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 2, 2025

“How do I feel about the word gerontocracy? It’s a loaded question, and it’s a third rail,” she said.

From Slate • Sep. 7, 2023

Walensky: That’s kind of a loaded question from where I’m sitting, since my life is not normal.

From Washington Post • Mar. 12, 2023

Now, that’s a loaded question, I think, and I almost laugh.

From "Popcorn" by Rob Harrell