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

Baker initially shot Benard a quizzical look. — Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 3 Feb. 2026

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

When the film won, many in the media room at BAFTA turned to each other with a quizzical look. — Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 22 Feb. 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

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