question mark

noun

1

a

: something unknown, unknowable, or uncertain

b

: someone (such as an athlete) whose condition, talent, or potential for success is in doubt

2

: a mark ? used in writing and printing at the conclusion of a sentence to indicate a direct question

Examples of question mark in a Sentence

The team's pitching is a big question mark this season.

Recent Examples on the Web

Ball is still a good passer and defender, but his jumper has been a bit MIA lately, and his health will always be a question mark for the rest of his career. —Alex Kirschenbaum, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025

So Luukkonen was already a question mark coming into this season. —Matthew Fairburn, New York Times, 26 Oct. 2025

As a result, an ominous question mark hangs over the fate of the veteran spacecraft. —Anthony Wood, Space.com, 25 Oct. 2025

The Hurricanes’ only public question mark among key contributors entering the week was edge rusher Akheem Mesidor, who sustained an apparent foot injury in the fourth quarter against Louisville. —Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 24 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1862, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for question mark

• disembark
• matriarch
• meadowlark
• patriarch
• watermark
• arc
• ark
• bark
• barque
• dark
• hark
• lark

Kids Definition

question mark

noun

: a punctuation mark ? used chiefly at the end of a sentence to indicate a direct question