Synonyms of questioning

questioning 1 of 3

adjective

as in skeptical

inclined to doubt or question claims

a naturally questioning person, she demands rock-solid proof before she believes anything

Synonyms & Similar Words

• skeptical
• suspicious
• cautious
• doubting
• careful
• incredulous
• disbelieving
• wary
• unbelieving
• show-me
• negativistic
• distrustful
• suspecting
• mistrustful
• paranoid
• cynical
• curious
• unsure
• paranoidal
• puzzled
• quizzical
• watchful
• critical
• experienced
• inquisitive
• leery
• guarded
• uncertain
• knowing
• inquiring
• unconvinced
• hesitant
• worldly
• leary
• nosey
• sophisticated
• undetermined
• undecided
• nosy
• gun-shy
• worldly-wise
• unsettled
• snoopy

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• trusting
• unquestioning
• uncritical
• certain
• credulous
• positive
• sure
• naive
• gullible
• trustful
• green
• simple
• confident
• naïve
• innocent
• unknowing
• unsophisticated
• ingenuous
• simpleminded
• wide-eyed
• unworldly
• inexperienced
• childlike
• raw
• idealistic
• callow
• impractical
• gullable
• careless
• heedless
• deceived
• unsuspecting
• unsuspicious
• unwary
• duped
• tricked
• beguiled
• gulled

questioning

2 of 3

noun

as in inquiry

Synonyms & Similar Words

• inquiry
• interrogation
• prying
• concern
• wonderment
• attentiveness
• interest
• interference
• inquisitiveness
• regard
• intrusiveness
• curiosity
• officiousness
• obtrusiveness
• meddlesomeness
• curiousness
• eavesdropping
• nosiness
• rubbernecking

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• disregard
• indifference
• incuriosity
• incuriousness
• unconcern
• apathy
• disinterestedness

questioning

3 of 3

verb

present participle of question

1

as in challenging

to demand proof of the truth or rightness of

the teenager openly questioned the authority of the town's police force to impose a curfew on residents under the age of 18

Synonyms & Similar Words

• challenging
• disputing
• doubting
• contesting
• protesting
• impeaching
• querying
• calling into question
• opposing
• calling in question
• fighting
• oppugning
• resisting
• mistrusting
• combatting
• kicking (about)
• combating
• objecting (to)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• believing
• accepting
• embracing
• supporting
• defending
• swallowing
• promoting
• backing
• advocating
• enduring
• tolerating
• abiding
• championing
• stomaching

2

as in pondering

to give serious and careful thought to

question your motives before you file the lawsuit: do you really care about the trees, or are you just trying to harass the neighbors?

Synonyms & Similar Words

• pondering
• debating
• considering
• contemplating
• studying
• entertaining
• weighing
• exploring
• eying
• reviewing
• analyzing
• eyeing
• deliberating
• ruminating
• cogitating
• thinking (about or over)
• looking at
• meditating
• revolving
• mulling (over)
• wrestling (with)
• chewing on
• chewing over
• turning
• reasoning
• poring (over)
• perpending
• kicking around
• digesting
• reflecting (on or upon)
• believing
• reminiscing
• beating one's brains out (about)
• cudgeling one's brains (about)
• concluding
• musing (upon)
• opining
• second-guessing
• speculating (about)
• absorbing
• dwelling (on or upon)
• fixating (on or upon)
• brooding (about or over)
• obsessing (about or over)
• conceiving
• fretting (about or over)
• assimilating
• drinking (in)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• ignoring
• disregarding
• overlooking
• rejecting
• dismissing
• slighting
• pooh-poohing
• poohing

3

as in doubting

to have no trust or confidence in

it was apparent that voters were questioning the President's ability to manage the economy

Synonyms & Similar Words

• doubting
• suspecting
• distrusting
• mistrusting
• misdoubting
• discounting
• disbelieving
• discrediting
• negating

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• trusting
• depending (on or upon)
• relying (on or upon)
• counting (on or upon)
• banking (on or upon)

4

as in asking

to put a question or questions to

the press should be allowed to question public officials about any matter of general interest

Synonyms & Similar Words

• asking
• interrogating
• quizzing
• inquiring (of)
• querying
• grilling
• examining
• catechizing
• bombarding
• cross-questioning
• cross-examining
• surveying
• pumping
• besieging
• polling

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• responding
• answering
• replying
• observing
• commenting
• avoiding
• remarking
• retorting
• rejoining
• ducking

5

as in interrogating

to put a series of questions to

the police questioned the suspect before deciding that there was insufficient evidence to hold him

Synonyms & Similar Words

• interrogating
• examining
• quizzing
• querying
• grilling
• pumping
• catechizing
• harassing
• debriefing
• picking the brains of
• sweating
• cross-examining
• giving the third degree to
• hounding
• cross-questioning
• annoying
• pestering
• canvassing
• polling
• canvasing

Examples of questioning in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The lyrics don’t have the same toothy bite as Pink Floyd’s early work (those were mostly written by a certain ex-bandmate that Gilmour has been running like hell from in recent years), but the philosophical nature of his questioning is a throughline to his past. —Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 5 Sep. 2024

This caused a rift between Moon and her siblings that continues, and a questioning about her relationship with her family that is painful to read and to talk about, at least for me. —Lily Moayeri, SPIN, 19 Aug. 2024

Indirect communication style The conversational style of low-demand parents often relies on a curiosity approach rather than direct questioning, which might induce stress for the child. —Mia Taylor, Parents, 14 Aug. 2024

But the suggestion has left some questioning whether Berlin can turn back the difficult moral questions the statue has already opened. —Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 21 Sep. 2024