- 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
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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.
Often, commentators first clarify that they’re open to questioning narratives before arguing that this specific narrative shouldn’t be questioned.
From Slate ● Jul. 21, 2026
He criticised slow bureaucracy and a lack of flexibility, questioning whether Ukraine could defeat Russia with Syrsky in charge of the army.
From Barron's ● Jul. 17, 2026
Investors are questioning the durability of a business model where the leading AI model shifts every few months, Bryan Wong, portfolio manager at Osterweis Capital Management, told MarketWatch.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 16, 2026
Social media has been flooded with posts from users in Colombia, Chile, Uruguay, Ecuador and Peru questioning refereeing decisions or expressing disapproval of Argentina, while messages mocking rival teams also proliferated from Argentine accounts.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026
“We’d like to pay for Charley’s headstone,” Theo says suddenly, gaze focused intently on Mrs. Dannenberg while he ignores my questioning eyes.
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
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.