Meaning & use

probing

adjective·Academic

Last updated

Searching or investigating something thoroughly and often persistently, especially to uncover hidden information.

See it in a sentence

The journalist asked probing questions that made the senator visibly uncomfortable.

Her probing gaze made him feel like she could read his thoughts.

A note on using this word

Most often paired with words like 'questions,' 'look,' or 'investigation' to suggest careful, deep inquiry rather than a casual glance.

Words with a similar meaning

searchingpenetrating

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

Another way to use it

2. noun

A medical or technical examination performed with a probe to explore or test something.

The dentist used a probing instrument to check for cavities.

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