Meanings
nounrhetorical question (plural rhetorical questions)
plural rhetorical questions
- A question posed only for dramatic or persuasive effect.
- colloquialA question to which the asker does not expect an answer.
Are you nuts? Don't answer that – it's a rhetorical question.
- Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see rhetorical, question.
Translations
Afrikaans retoriese vraag, retoriese vraag
- retoriese vraagquestion posed for dramatic or persuasive effect
- retoriese vraagquestion of which no answer is expected
Arabic اِسْتِفْهَام مَجَازِيّ
- اِسْتِفْهَام مَجَازِيّ (istifhām majāziyy)question posed for dramatic or persuasive effect
Catalan pregunta retòrica
- pregunta retòricaquestion posed for dramatic or persuasive effect
Chinese Mandarin 反問句 /反问句
- 反問句 /反问句 (fǎnwènjù)question posed for dramatic or persuasive effect
Czech řečnická otázka
- řečnická otázkaquestion posed for dramatic or persuasive effect
Finnish retorinen kysymys, retorinen kysymys
- retorinen kysymysquestion posed for dramatic or persuasive effect
- retorinen kysymysquestion of which no answer is expected
French question rhétorique
- question rhétoriquequestion posed for dramatic or persuasive effect
German rhetorische Frage
- rhetorische Fragequestion posed for dramatic or persuasive effect
Greek ρητορική ερώτηση
- ρητορική ερώτηση (ritorikí erótisi)question posed for dramatic or persuasive effect
Hungarian költői kérdés
- költői kérdésquestion posed for dramatic or persuasive effect
Icelandic retorísk spurning, ræðuspurning
- retorísk spurningquestion posed for dramatic or persuasive effect
- ræðuspurningquestion posed for dramatic or persuasive effect
Japanese 修辞疑問, 反語
- 修辞疑問 (jūji gimon)question posed for dramatic or persuasive effect
- 反語 (hango)question posed for dramatic or persuasive effect
Malay soalan retorik
- soalan retorikquestion posed for dramatic or persuasive effect
Māori ui makihoi, ui mākoi
- ui makihoiquestion posed for dramatic or persuasive effect
- ui mākoiquestion posed for dramatic or persuasive effect
- pātai mākoiquestion posed for dramatic or persuasive effect
Polish pytanie retoryczne, pytanie retoryczne
- pytanie retorycznequestion posed for dramatic or persuasive effect
- pytanie retorycznequestion of which no answer is expected
Portuguese pergunta retórica
- pergunta retóricaquestion posed for dramatic or persuasive effect
Romanian interogație retorică, întrebare retorică
- interogație retoricăquestion posed for dramatic or persuasive effect
- întrebare retoricăquestion posed for dramatic or persuasive effect
Russian ритори́ческий вопро́с
- ритори́ческий вопро́с (ritoríčeskij voprós)question posed for dramatic or persuasive effect
Spanish pregunta retórica
- pregunta retóricaquestion posed for dramatic or persuasive effect
Swedish retorisk fråga
- retorisk frågaquestion posed for dramatic or persuasive effect
Turkish cümle değerli soru, retorik soru
- cümle değerli soruquestion posed for dramatic or persuasive effect
- retorik soruquestion posed for dramatic or persuasive effect
- tümce değerli soruquestion posed for dramatic or persuasive effect
Ukrainian ритори́чне запита́ння, ритори́чне запита́ння
- ритори́чне запита́ння (rytorýčne zapytánnja)question posed for dramatic or persuasive effect
- ритори́чне запита́ння (rytorýčne zapytánnja)question of which no answer is expected
Cite this entry
APA
rhetorical question. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rhetorical%20question
MLA
“rhetorical question.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rhetorical%20question. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “rhetorical question,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rhetorical%20question.
Source: rhetorical question on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.