quizzical

adjective

quiz·​zi·​cal ˈkwi-zi-kəl 

1

: comically quaint

a quizzical old man

2

: mildly teasing or mocking

a quizzical remark

3

: expressive of puzzlement, curiosity, or disbelief

raised a quizzical eyebrow

quizzicality

ˌkwi-zə-ˈka-lə-tē 

noun

quizzically

ˈkwi-zi-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

Synonyms of quizzical

• joking
• sarcastic
• kidding
• mocking
• bantering
• jesting
• razzing

Examples of quizzical in a Sentence

He gave me a quizzical look.

There was a quizzical expression on his face.

She raised a quizzical eyebrow when she saw what he was wearing.

Recent Examples on the Web

By widening the lens, Clark is able to redirect the book’s gaze from the mother toward a quizzical, sometimes critical, but not unaffectionate portrait of two generations of political activism, with the attendant self-involvement and domestic negligence. —James Wood, New Yorker, 4 May 2026

Carpenter responded with a quizzical frown. —Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2026

Lane was gifted with that kind of face and personality, too, replete with diagonal eyebrows that join his cheekbones in a quizzical demeanor that, throughout his career, has signaled the joys of life. —Chris Jones, New York Daily News, 10 Apr. 2026

There won’t be any TikTok dances near Amen Corner, nor quizzical reels filmed with Jason Kelce under the Big Oak. —Gabriel Burns, AJC.com, 6 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1797, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for quizzical

• physical
• astrophysical
• biophysical
• geophysical
• metaphysical
• psychophysical
• thermophysical
• nonphysical

Kids Definition

quizzical

adjective

quiz·​zi·​cal ˈkwiz-i-kəl 

1

: teasing in a good-natured way

2

a

: showing doubt in a good-natured way

b

: showing puzzlement or curiosity

quizzically

-k(ə-)lē 

adverb