quiz
B1Neutral to informal. Common in educational, media, and general conversational contexts.
Definition
Meaning
A short test or game of knowledge on a particular subject, typically informal and used for assessment or entertainment.
Can refer to a television or radio programme featuring such a test as a competition; to question someone closely; a piece of software or an online set of questions.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
As a noun, it often implies a lighter, less formal, or shorter assessment than a 'test' or 'exam'. As a verb, it can mean to test knowledge or to question intensively.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Minimal. The verb form 'to quiz' (meaning to question) is slightly more common in UK English.
Connotations
Similar in both. In educational contexts, a 'quiz' is less formal than a 'test'.
Frequency
Very common in both varieties. The compound 'pub quiz' is strongly associated with UK culture.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
quiz somebody (on/about something)take a quizgive a quizVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Pop quiz (an unannounced test)”
- “Quiz kid (a child prodigy, now dated)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Can refer to a training assessment or a team-building activity (e.g., 'We'll start the session with a short safety quiz').
Academic
A low-stakes, often frequent assessment tool (e.g., 'There's a vocabulary quiz every Friday').
Everyday
Common for entertainment, e.g., magazine or online personality quizzes, pub quizzes.
Technical
Refers to a feature in e-learning platforms and educational software.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The detective quizzed the suspect for hours.
- She quizzed me on my knowledge of European capitals.
American English
- Reporters quizzed the mayor on the new policy.
- My mom quizzed me about where I'd been last night.
adverb
British English
- (No standard adverbial form. 'Quiz-wise' is highly informal/colloquial.)
American English
- (No standard adverbial form.)
adjective
British English
- He's our quiz team captain.
- The quiz night proceeds go to charity.
American English
- She hosts a popular quiz show.
- We need a quiz master for the event.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- We have an English quiz tomorrow.
- The quiz was about animals.
- I like online quizzes.
- Our teacher gave us a surprise quiz on the chapter.
- Let's make a quiz for the party.
- He did well in the geography quiz.
- The journalist quizzed the minister relentlessly about the scandal.
- Our pub quiz team meets every Tuesday.
- The app features a daily five-question quiz.
- The format of the televised quiz requires not only knowledge but lightning-fast recall.
- Under intense quizzing from the committee, the witness's story began to unravel.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
QUIZ sounds like 'QUICK Zzz' – a quick test that might make you sleepy!
Conceptual Metaphor
KNOWLEDGE IS A MEASURABLE SUBSTANCE (you test/take stock of it).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid translating as 'викторина' for all contexts – 'викторина' is specifically a game-quiz. An educational quiz is better translated as 'контрольная (работа)', 'опрос', or 'тест'.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'quiz' for a major final exam (too informal).
- Confusing 'I will quiz you' (I will ask you questions) with 'I will test you' (more formal/serious).
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following is the LEAST likely meaning of 'quiz'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
A quiz is generally shorter, less formal, and carries less weight than a test. A test is more comprehensive and formal.
Yes. 'To quiz someone' means to ask them a series of questions, often in a thorough or intensive way.
Yes, almost identically. The verb might be slightly more frequent in UK English, and 'pub quiz' is a quintessentially British term.
A 'pop quiz' is a short, unannounced test given by a teacher to check students' understanding or to ensure they are doing the reading.
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