Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- adjective Suggesting puzzlement; questioning.
- adjective Teasing; mocking.
- adjective Eccentric; odd.
from The Century Dictionary.
- Characteristic of a quiz; bantering; teasing; shy; queer: as, a quizzical look or remark.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- adjective Relating to quizzing; given to quizzing; of the nature of a quiz; farcical; sportive.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- adjective
Questioning or suggestingpuzzlement . - adjective
Strange oreccentric .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- adjective perplexed (as if being expected to know something that you do not know)
- adjective playfully vexing (especially by ridicule)
Etymologies
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Examples
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She opened her eyes to find him peering down at her, his expression quizzical.
The Devil Wears Plaid Teresa Medeiros 2010
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And because the Huskies don't travel to the Bay Area this season, a win like this would have been like scoring the word "quizzical" in Scrabble.
The Seattle Times 2012
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His expression was quizzical and slightly concerned.
Sweet Deceit Kate Brian 2010
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His expression was quizzical and slightly concerned.
Sweet Deceit Kate Brian 2010
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He recalled the quizzical looks he got from batters when the sinker came in hard like a fastball and then broke downward.
News 2009
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Quietly rubbing against the grain of contemporary painting, this kind of quizzical, intimate work is a thing to be cherished.
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The Geekette, what was her name, Phoebe? sat up a little straighter, tensing slightly, then favoured him with a raised eyebrow that could only be called "quizzical".
An Un Conventional Story Zoe Brain 2006
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The Geekette, what was her name, Phoebe? sat up a little straighter, tensing slightly, then favoured him with a raised eyebrow that could only be called "quizzical".
Archive 2006-10-01 Zoe Brain 2006
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When it became clear to him that he appeared for the moment to have nothing to fear from the eagle, who was merely regarding him with a kind of quizzical, blinking doubt, he sat up, and then slowly dragged himself back to his feet and wiped and smaacked some of the dirt off his coat.
The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul Adams, Douglas, 1952- 1988
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The baby’s feathered face can be remarkably expressive: it is wearing what can only be described as a quizzical look: What’s this?
Birdology Sy Montgomery 2010
rolig commented on the word quizzical
"In Maria, child of her brother's late marriage, he now saw that beauty, or sort of physical genius, without the halting influence that had bound Mrs. Vesey up -- yes, and bound Henry up, from his boyhood, with her -- in a circle of quizzical half-smiles." -- Elizabeth Bowen, "Sunday Afternoon," Ivy Gripped the Steps.
May 3, 2007
uselessness commented on the word quizzical
If quizzes are quizzical, then what are tests?
September 30, 2007