interrogate
gb/ɪntˈɛɹəɡˌeɪt/ us/ɪntˈɛɹəɡˌeɪt/
B2
Anglais
Sens
0 sens
Verbe
formal
C1
action
1
question formally in an investigation
to ask someone many official questions to find the truth
Schéma d’usage :
interrogate [someone] (about [something])
Erreur fréquente :
Learners often use *interrogate* when they simply mean *interview*; *interrogate* suggests a more forceful, investigative situation.
Synonymes
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.)
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
Thèmes
law
|crime
|police
|justice
Exemples
- Police interrogated the suspect for several hours before charging him.
- The lawyer argued that the witness had been interrogated without legal advice.
- Detectives interrogated her about her movements on the night of the robbery.
Exemples pédagogiques
- The police interrogated the suspect.
- They interrogated him about the theft.
Verbe
B2
action
2
ask someone many direct questions
to keep asking someone questions to get information
Schéma d’usage :
interrogate [someone] (about [something])
Erreur fréquente :
Learners may overuse *interrogate* for neutral situations; it often implies pressure, suspicion, or annoyance.
Synonymes
quiz (Often lighter; can be friendly or informal.)
|
press (Emphasizes pushing for an answer.)
|
probe (Emphasizes careful, searching questions.)
Antonymes
drop the subject (Stop asking questions and let it go.)
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
Thèmes
communication
|daily_life
|media
Exemples
- My parents interrogated me about where I’d been and who I was with.
- Reporters tried to interrogate the actor about the rumors, but she refused to comment.
- He felt interrogated at the party when everyone kept asking about his salary.
Exemples pédagogiques
- She interrogated him about his job.
- Stop interrogating me—I already answered.
Verbe
technical
C1
action
3
query a system to get information
to get information from a computer system by checking it carefully
Schéma d’usage :
interrogate [a system/database/logs] (for [information])
Erreur fréquente :
In everyday English, *interrogate* usually refers to questioning people; this computing meaning is more technical.
Synonymes
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.)
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
Thèmes
technology
|computing
|data
Exemples
- The analyst interrogated the database to find all transactions linked to that account.
- The monitoring tool interrogates each server every minute to check its status.
- We can interrogate the logs for the exact error message.
Exemples pédagogiques
- The program interrogates the database for user details.
- We interrogated the logs to find the problem.
Verbe
formal
C1
process
4
examine ideas critically and deeply
to think about something deeply and question it
Schéma d’usage :
interrogate [an idea/assumption/claim]
Erreur fréquente :
Learners may confuse this with *investigate*; *interrogate* emphasizes questioning and challenging underlying assumptions.
Synonymes
scrutinize (Emphasizes careful inspection for flaws.)
|
question (More general; less intense and less analytical.)
|
challenge (Emphasizes disagreement or testing strength.)
Antonymes
accept (Take something as true without questioning it.)
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
Thèmes
education
|thinking
|writing
Exemples
- The essay interrogates the assumption that economic growth always improves quality of life.
- We need to interrogate the evidence before we draw conclusions.
- She urged the team to interrogate their own biases during the review.
Exemples pédagogiques
- We should interrogate this idea.
- He interrogated the claim before agreeing.
Grammaire
Forme canonique
interrogate
API
GB/ɪntˈɛɹəɡˌeɪt/
US/ɪntˈɛɹəɡˌeɪt/
Syllabes et accentuation
in - ter - rog - ate (4 syllabes)
Stress on 2nd syllable (ter)
Formes du mot
Verb
- Base: interrogate
- 3rd Person Singular: interrogates
- Present Participle: interrogating
- Past: interrogated
Famille de mots
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
Exemples
- 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.