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rhetorical question

rhe·tor·i·cal ques·tion
R r

Transcription

    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • [ri-tawr-i-kuh l, -tor- kwes-chuh n]
    • /rɪˈtɔr ɪ kəl, -ˈtɒr- ˈkwɛs tʃən/
    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • [ri-tawr-i-kuh l, -tor- kwes-chuh n]
    • /rɪˈtɔr ɪ kəl, -ˈtɒr- ˈkwɛs tʃən/

Definitions of rhetorical question words

  • noun rhetorical question a question asked solely to produce an effect or to make an assertion and not to elicit a reply, as “What is so rare as a day in June?”. 1
  • noun rhetorical question statement in form of a question 1
  • noun rhetorical question a question to which no answer is required: used esp for dramatic effect. An example is Who knows? (with the implication Nobody knows) 0
  • noun rhetorical question a question asked only for effect, as to emphasize a point, no answer being expected 0
See all 4 definitions of rhetorical question

Information block about the term

Origin of rhetorical question

First appearance:

before 1835
One of the 34% newest English words
First recorded in 1835-45

Historical Comparancy

Parts of speech for Rhetorical question

noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
Full grammatical hierarchy of Rhetorical question

rhetorical question popularity

This term is known only to a narrow circle of people with rare knowledge. Only 27% of English native speakers know the meaning of this word.
According to our data about 75% of words is more used. This is a rare but used term. It occurs in the pages of specialized literature and in the speech of educated people.

rhetorical question usage trend in Literature

This diagram is provided by Google Ngram Viewer

Synonyms for rhetorical question

noun rhetorical question

  • answer — When you answer someone who has asked you something, you say something back to them.
  • antiphon — a short passage, usually from the Bible, recited or sung as a response after certain parts of a liturgical service
  • anybody's guess — a person of some importance: If you're anybody, you'll receive an invitation.
  • band-aid — A Band-Aid is a small piece of sticky tape that you use to cover small cuts or wounds on your body.
  • counterclaim — a claim set up in opposition to another, esp by the defendant in a civil action against the plaintiff
All 5 Synonyms of rhetorical question

See also

Matching words

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