What does quizzing mean?
Quizzing means asking someone questions, usually as a test of knowledge or understanding. It is the present participle of “quiz” and is especially common in educational, recreational, and interview settings: a teacher may quiz pupils about a lesson, while a programme may quiz contestants about general knowledge. The word can also have a less friendly sense, meaning to question someone closely, persistently, or suspiciously. In this second use, “quizzing” often suggests scrutiny, as when investigators quiz a witness or a reporter quizzes a politician about a controversial decision. Although the expression sounds informal, it is widely accepted in both British and American English. The related adjective “quizzical” usually describes a playful or teasing manner, while “quiz” also forms a compact family of words associated with tests, short questions, and competitive question-and-answer games.
verb (present participle)To ask someone a series of questions in order to test their knowledge or understanding. It can also mean to interrogate or persistently question someone.
- To ask someone questions in order to test their knowledge.
- To question or interrogate someone persistently or searchingly.
"The interviewer quizzed the candidate about her experience in emergency medicine."
"She spent the morning quizzing her students about world geography."
"Detectives spent hours quizzing the witness about his movements that evening."
The word “quiz” has been puzzling readers since it entered English, and even its original source remains uncertain.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does quizzing come from?
“Quizzing” was formed from the verb “quiz” with the present-participle ending “-ing.” “Quiz” entered English in the late eighteenth century, but the precise origin of the word is uncertain despite various proposed explanations. Its established derivatives include “quizzical,” meaning playful or teasing, and “quizmaster,” a person who asks questions in a game or programme.
Related word forms
How quizzing is actually used
In its educational sense, the word is usually informal but friendly. In its more intense sense, it can imply persistent or suspicious questioning.