ques|tion ◆◆◆ /kwe stʃ ə n/ (questions , questioning , questioned )
1 N‑COUNT A question is something that you say or write in order to ask a person about something. □ [+ about ] They asked a great many questions about England. □ [+ on ] The President refused to answer further questions on the subject.
2 VERB If you question someone, you ask them a lot of questions about something. □ [V n] This led the therapist to question Jim about his parents. ● ques|tion|ing N‑UNCOUNT □ The police have detained thirty-two people for questioning.
3 VERB If you question something, you have or express doubts about whether it is true, reasonable, or worthwhile. □ [V n] It never occurs to them to question the doctor's decisions.
4 N‑SING If you say that there is some question about something, you mean that there is doubt or uncertainty about it. If something is in question or has been called into question , doubt or uncertainty has been expressed about it. □ There's no question about their success. □ The paper says the President's move has called into question the whole basis of democracy in the country. □ With the loyalty of key military units in question, that could prove an extraordinarily difficult task.
5 N‑COUNT A question is a problem, matter, or point which needs to be considered. □ [+ of ] But the whole question of aid is a tricky political one.
6 N‑COUNT The questions in an examination are the problems which are set in order to test your knowledge or ability. □ That question did come up in the examination.
7 → see also cross-question , leading question , questioning , trick question
8 PHRASE The person, thing, or time in question is one which you have just been talking about or which is relevant. □ Add up all the income you've received over the period in question.
9 PHRASE If you say that something is out of the question , you are emphasizing that it is completely impossible or unacceptable. [EMPHASIS ] □ For the homeless, private medical care is simply out of the question.
10 PHRASE If you pop the question , you ask someone to marry you. [JOURNALISM , INFORMAL ] □ Stuart got serious quickly and popped the question six months later.
11 PHRASE If you say there is no question of something happening, you are emphasizing that it is not going to happen. [EMPHASIS ] □ As far as he was concerned there was no question of betraying his own comrades. □ There is no question of the tax-payer picking up the bill for the party.
12 PHRASE If you do something without question , you do it without arguing or asking why it is necessary. □ …military formations, carrying out without question the battle orders of superior officers.
13 PHRASE You use without question to emphasize the opinion you are expressing. [EMPHASIS ] □ He was our greatest storyteller, without question.
ques|tion|able /kwe stʃənəb ə l/ ADJ If you say that something is questionable , you mean that it is not completely honest, reasonable, or acceptable. [FORMAL ] □ He has been dogged by allegations of questionable business practices.
ques|tion|er /kwe stʃənə r / (questioners ) N‑COUNT A questioner is a person who is asking a question. □ He agreed with the questioner.
ques|tion|ing /kwe stʃən I ŋ/
1 ADJ [ADJ n] If someone has a questioning expression on their face, they look as if they want to know the answer to a question. [WRITTEN ] □ He raised a questioning eyebrow. ● ques|tion|ing|ly ADV [ADV with v] □ Brenda looked questioningly at Daniel.
2 → see also question
que s|tion mark (question marks )
1 N‑COUNT A question mark is the punctuation mark ? which is used in writing at the end of a question.
2 N‑COUNT If there is doubt or uncertainty about something, you can say that there is a question mark over it. □ [+ over ] There are bound to be question marks over his future.
ques|tion|naire /kwe stʃəneə r , ke s-/ (questionnaires ) N‑COUNT A questionnaire is a written list of questions which are answered by a lot of people in order to provide information for a report or a survey. □ Headteachers will be asked to fill in a questionnaire.
que s|tion tag (question tags ) N‑COUNT In grammar, a question tag is a very short clause at the end of a statement which changes the statement into a question. For example, in 'She said half price, didn't she?', the words 'didn't she' are a question tag.
queue /kjuː / (queues , queuing , queued ) queueing can also be used as the continuous form. 1 N‑COUNT A queue is a line of people or vehicles that are waiting for something. [mainly BRIT ] □ I watched as he got a tray and joined the queue. □ She waited in the bus queue. [Also + for/of ] in AM, usually use line 2 N‑COUNT [usu sing] If you say there is a queue of people who want to do or have something, you mean that a lot of people are waiting for an opportunity to do it or have it. [mainly BRIT ] □ [+ of ] Manchester United would be at the front of a queue of potential buyers. in AM, usually use line 3 VERB When people queue , they stand in a line waiting for something. [mainly BRIT ] □ [V ] I had to queue for quite a while. □ [V + for ] …a line of women queueing for bread. ● PHRASAL VERB Queue up means the same as queue . □ [V P ] A mob of journalists are queuing up at the gate to photograph him. □ [V P + for ] We all had to queue up for our ration books. [in AM, usually use line up ]