- present participle of question.
questioning
Americanadjective
-
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
-
proceeding from or characterized by a feeling of doubt or uncertainty
-
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.
I’m not questioning the data or trying to argue that the numbers are wrong.
From Salon ● Aug. 15, 2026
After his arrest, the man in his 60s was taken to Wymondham Police Investigation Centre for questioning.
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
San Francisco Fed President Mary Daly, who supported the hold, went further last week by questioning whether incremental moves would work at all.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
Asked about the lawsuit during questioning, Turner said, “We’re working on that right now,” then shifted to a brown lunch bag pulled from the lectern from which he extracted several items.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026
Exhausted by the questioning, after agreeing to return to Bryantown the next day to sign a statement, Mudd rode home.
From "Chasing Lincoln's Killer" by James L. Swanson
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.
