interrogate
gb/ɪntˈɛɹəɡˌeɪt/ us/ɪntˈɛɹəɡˌeɪt/
B2
English
kihallgat, faggat, kifaggat, lekérdez, kritikusan megvizsgál, górcső alá vesz
VERB
C1
FORMAL
1
kihallgat
B2
Usage pattern:
interrogate [someone] (about [something])
Police interrogated the suspect for several hours before charging him.
A rendőrök több órán át hallgatták ki a gyanúsítottat, mielőtt vádat emeltek ellene.
The lawyer argued that the witness had been interrogated without legal advice.
Az ügyvéd azzal érvelt, hogy a tanút ügyvédi segítség nélkül hallgatták ki.
Detectives interrogated her about her movements on the night of the robbery.
Learner examples
The police interrogated the suspect.
A rendőrök kihallgatták a gyanúsítottat.
They interrogated him about the theft.
A lopással kapcsolatban hallgatták ki.
Common mistake:
Learners often use *interrogate* when they simply mean *interview*; *interrogate* suggests a more forceful, investigative situation.
Meaning
question formally in an investigation
Collocations
interrogate a suspect
|interrogate a witness
|interrogate the defendant
|interrogate a prisoner
|interrogate someone at the station
|interrogate someone for hours
|interrogate someone about the crime
|interrogate someone in connection with the case
|interrogate someone under oath
|interrogate someone aggressively
Synonyms
question (More general and less official or intense.)
|
grill (More informal; emphasizes pressure and intensity.)
|
cross-examine (Specifically in court; structured questioning of a witness.)
Themes
law
|crime
|police
|justice
Definition
to ask someone many official questions to find the truth
To question someone officially and in detail, especially as part of a police or legal investigation.
VERB
B2
2
Usage pattern:
interrogate [someone] (about [something])
My parents interrogated me about where I’d been and who I was with.
A szüleim arról faggattak, hol voltam és kivel voltam.
Reporters tried to interrogate the actor about the rumors, but she refused to comment.
Az újságírók a pletykákról próbálták faggatni a színésznőt, de ő nem volt hajlandó nyilatkozni.
He felt interrogated at the party when everyone kept asking about his salary.
Learner examples
She interrogated him about his job.
A munkájáról faggatta.
Stop interrogating me—I already answered.
Ne faggass már, már válaszoltam.
Common mistake:
Learners may overuse *interrogate* for neutral situations; it often implies pressure, suspicion, or annoyance.
Meaning
ask someone many direct questions
Collocations
interrogate someone about their plans
|interrogate someone about where they were
|interrogate your kids
|interrogate your partner
|interrogate a journalist
|interrogate someone relentlessly
|interrogate someone closely
|interrogate someone at length
|interrogate someone over dinner
|interrogate someone for details
Synonyms
quiz (Often lighter; can be friendly or informal.)
|
press (Emphasizes pushing for an answer.)
|
probe (Emphasizes careful, searching questions.)
Antonyms
drop the subject (Stop asking questions and let it go.)
Themes
communication
|daily_life
|media
Definition
to keep asking someone questions to get information
To ask someone a lot of direct questions in order to get information, often in a persistent or unfriendly way.
VERB
C1
TECHNICAL
3
lekérdez
B2
Usage pattern:
interrogate [a system/database/logs] (for [information])
The analyst interrogated the database to find all transactions linked to that account.
Az elemző lekérdezte az adatbázist, hogy megtalálja az adott számlához kapcsolódó összes tranzakciót.
The monitoring tool interrogates each server every minute to check its status.
A felügyeleti eszköz percenként lekérdez minden szervert, hogy ellenőrizze az állapotát.
We can interrogate the logs for the exact error message.
Learner examples
The program interrogates the database for user details.
A program lekérdezi az adatbázisból a felhasználói adatokat.
We interrogated the logs to find the problem.
Lekérdeztük a naplókat, hogy megtaláljuk a hibát.
Common mistake:
In everyday English, *interrogate* usually refers to questioning people; this computing meaning is more technical.
Meaning
query a system to get information
Collocations
interrogate a database
|interrogate the system
|interrogate an API
|interrogate the logs
|interrogate the server
|interrogate the data store
|interrogate a file
|interrogate the records
|interrogate a sensor
|interrogate the network
Synonyms
query (More common technical verb; focuses on sending a request for data.)
|
check (Less technical; suggests a simpler inspection.)
|
inspect (Focuses on looking closely rather than sending queries.)
Themes
technology
|computing
|data
Definition
to get information from a computer system by checking it carefully
To obtain information from a computer system or database by examining it or running queries.
VERB
C1
FORMAL
4
Usage pattern:
interrogate [an idea/assumption/claim]
The essay interrogates the assumption that economic growth always improves quality of life.
Az esszé kritikusan megvizsgálja azt a feltevést, hogy a gazdasági növekedés mindig javítja az életminőséget.
We need to interrogate the evidence before we draw conclusions.
Mielőtt következtetéseket vonnánk le, kritikusan meg kell vizsgálnunk a bizonyítékokat.
She urged the team to interrogate their own biases during the review.
Learner examples
We should interrogate this idea.
Kritikusan meg kell vizsgálnunk ezt az elképzelést.
He interrogated the claim before agreeing.
Beleegyezés előtt kritikusan megvizsgálta az állítást.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this with *investigate*; *interrogate* emphasizes questioning and challenging underlying assumptions.
Meaning
examine ideas critically and deeply
Collocations
interrogate an assumption
|interrogate a claim
|interrogate the evidence
|interrogate the narrative
|interrogate the concept
|interrogate the notion
|interrogate your motives
|interrogate your beliefs
|interrogate a theory
|interrogate the meaning
Synonyms
scrutinize (Emphasizes careful inspection for flaws.)
|
question (More general; less intense and less analytical.)
|
challenge (Emphasizes disagreement or testing strength.)
Antonyms
accept (Take something as true without questioning it.)
Themes
education
|thinking
|writing
Definition
to think about something deeply and question it
To examine an idea, claim, or assumption very carefully by asking challenging questions about it.
Grammar
Dictionary form
interrogate
IPA
GB/ɪntˈɛɹəɡˌeɪt/
US/ɪntˈɛɹəɡˌeɪt/
Syllables & stress
in - ter - rog - ate (4 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (ter)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: interrogate
- 3rd Person Singular: interrogates
- Present Participle: interrogating
- Past: interrogated
Word family
Forms
interrogates
verb
interrogating
verb
interrogated
verb
Core family
interrogation
noun B2
interrogator
noun
Related words
interrogative
adjective C1
Advanced or less common
interrogatively
adverb C1
interrogatory
adjective
Expressions
interrogate the data
1/ɪntˈɛɹəɡˌeɪt ðə dˈætə/
fixed phrase
business
analyze data for answers
to look at data very carefully to find answers
Examples
- Before changing the pricing, we need to interrogate the data to see what customers actually do.
- The team interrogated the data and found a clear seasonal pattern.
- She spent the afternoon interrogating the data for any sign of fraud.
Learner examples
- We interrogated the data to find the cause.
- Interrogate the data before you decide.