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Synonyms

rhetorical question

American  
[ri-tawr-i-kuhl kwes-chuhn, -tor-] / rɪˈtɔr ɪ kəl ˈkwɛs tʃən, -ˈtɒr- /

noun

Rhetoric.

  1. a question asked solely to produce an effect or to make an assertion of affirmation or denial and not to elicit a reply, as “Has there ever been a more perfect day for a picnic?” or “Are you out of your mind?”

rhetorical question British  

noun

  1. a question to which no answer is required: used esp for dramatic effect. An example is Who knows? (with the implication Nobody knows )

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
rhetorical question Cultural  

  1. A question posed without expectation of an answer but merely as a way of making a point: “You don't expect me to go along with that crazy scheme, do you?”

rhetorical question Idioms  

  1. A question asked without expecting an answer but for the sake of emphasis or effect. The expected answer is usually “yes” or “no.” For example, Can we improve the quality of our work? That's a rhetorical question. [Late 1800s]

Etymology

Origin of rhetorical question

First recorded in 1835–45

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.

In a concurring opinion, Gorsuch stated the stakes more plainly by posing a rhetorical question: If the president’s argument was given credence, then “what do we make of the Constitution’s text?”

From Salon • Feb. 21, 2026

Exhausted and exasperated, the quarterback had a rhetorical question for the cluster: “Can’t you let a guy sulk in peace?”

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 4, 2025

An ally of Mr Philp suggested the minister had been asking a rhetorical question, rather than a real one, as he tried to clarify what he had been asked.

From BBC • Apr. 26, 2024

Dad would often ask the rhetorical question, “What would grandma think?”

From Seattle Times • Jan. 19, 2024

He turned around now to look at me, for he was still dueling, posing a rhetorical question, almost a joke.

From "The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K. Le Guin

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.