sixty-four thousand dollar question: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
Low (idiomatic, somewhat dated)Informal, journalistic, occasionally academic
Quick answer
What does “sixty-four thousand dollar question” mean?
A question of extreme importance or difficulty, the answer to which resolves a crucial issue.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A question of extreme importance or difficulty, the answer to which resolves a crucial issue.
Derived from a television quiz show, it has come to signify any pivotal question upon which significant consequences depend, or a difficult problem requiring careful consideration.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The idiom originated in and remains more common in American English. In UK contexts, 'the million-dollar question' is a more frequent equivalent, though 'sixty-four thousand dollar question' is understood.
Connotations
US: Strong cultural reference to 1950s game show era. UK: Recognized but feels like an Americanism; may carry a slightly more intellectual or historical connotation.
Frequency
Rare in contemporary UK speech. Still occasionally used in US journalism and political commentary.
Grammar
How to Use “sixty-four thousand dollar question” in a Sentence
[To be] the sixty-four thousand dollar question[Verb] the sixty-four thousand dollar questionThe sixty-four thousand dollar question is [clause]Vocabulary
Collocations
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
"The sixty-four thousand dollar question for investors is whether the new CEO can turn around declining sales."
Academic
"The sixty-four thousand dollar question in climate research remains the precise sensitivity of global temperatures to CO2 concentrations."
Everyday
"We know you want to go, but the sixty-four thousand dollar question is: can you afford the trip?"
Technical
"For the development team, the sixty-four thousand dollar question was identifying the root cause of the memory leak."
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “sixty-four thousand dollar question”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “sixty-four thousand dollar question”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “sixty-four thousand dollar question”
- Using 'sixty-four thousand dollars question' (incorrect pluralisation).
- Misspelling as '64,000$ question'.
- Using it to refer to an easy or simple question.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is less common today than 'the million-dollar question' but is still used, particularly in written journalism and analysis to add a slightly historical or weighty tone.
It refers specifically to the top prize on the American television quiz show 'The $64,000 Question' (1955-1958), which was a sensational amount of money for the time.
It is acceptable in semi-formal contexts like journalism, commentary, or business analysis. In highly formal academic or legal writing, alternatives like 'the pivotal question' or 'the central issue' are preferable.
They are synonymous in meaning. 'The sixty-four thousand dollar question' is the original, more specific idiom. 'The million-dollar question' is a later, hyperbolic update that is more frequent in modern usage, especially outside the US.
A question of extreme importance or difficulty, the answer to which resolves a crucial issue.
Sixty-four thousand dollar question: in British English it is pronounced /ˌsɪk.sti fɔː ˈθaʊ.zənd ˈdɒl.ə ˌkwes.tʃən/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌsɪk.sti fɔːr ˈθaʊ.zənd ˈdɑː.lɚ ˌkwes.tʃən/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “That's the sixty-four thousand dollar question.”
- “Now for the sixty-four thousand dollar question...”
- “Which brings us to the sixty-four thousand dollar question.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of an old, incredibly valuable prize (64,000 dollars). The most important question is the one that wins that huge prize.
Conceptual Metaphor
IMPORTANT IDEAS ARE VALUABLE OBJECTS (A crucial question is a high-stakes prize).
Practice
Quiz
Which of these best describes the 'sixty-four thousand dollar question' in a debate about urban planning?