questioner
A2Pronunciation
UK
- /kwˈɛstʃənə/
US
- /ˈkwɛstʃənər/
Description
- Asker
- Inquirer
- One who asks
- Interviewer
- Curious person
A questioner is someone who asks questions, especially someone who does this often or as part of a role. You can picture a journalist during an interview, a lawyer in court, or a child who keeps asking "Why?" The word can sound formal, but it also works in everyday situations. Sometimes it suggests a curious or doubtful person who wants clearer answers instead of simply accepting what they hear.
The word "questioner" refers to a person who asks questions. Often, it suggests more than a single moment of speaking. It usually points to someone who asks questions regularly, or someone whose role is to get information from others. A questioner may be trying to understand, investigate, check the truth, or challenge an idea.
You might see "questioner" in many settings. In formal situations, such as a court case, an interview, a survey, or a research study, it can describe a person whose job is to ask things in a careful way. A lawyer, reporter, police officer, teacher, or interviewer may all be described this way when their main task is to ask for facts or explanations.
But the word is not limited to professional roles. It can also describe a naturally curious person, someone who keeps asking things because they want to learn more. That person may question rules, test ideas, or ask for reasons before agreeing. This does not always sound negative. Very often, it simply paints a picture of an active, thoughtful mind.
At times, "questioner" can carry a slightly negative feeling. If someone is called a constant questioner, the speaker may mean that the person is hard to satisfy, suspicious, or always pushing back. Even then, the basic idea stays the same: this is someone who asks questions again and again.
So, whether it is a professional interviewer, a doubtful listener, or a curious child, a questioner is a person who uses questions to find out more, test what others say, and better understand the world.
Examples
- 1
Public lecture
At the end of the lecture, the first questioner asked about funding for the project.
- 2
Witness interview
The witness stayed calm, even when the questioner kept pressing for a yes-or-no answer.
Pattern
pressing for + answer/information
trying hard to get it
- 3
Online advice
On the advice website, the questioner used a fake name to protect her privacy.
Forms and spellings
2 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- questionernoun
Forms
- questionerspluralnoun