To interrogate someone means to question them thoroughly and intensively, often in a formal or serious setting. When detectives interrogate a suspect, they ask detailed, persistent questions to uncover the truth about a crime. The word suggests systematic questioning with a specific purpose: to extract information or test the truthfulness of someone's account.

Police officers interrogate witnesses to gather facts about what happened. Lawyers interrogate witnesses during trials, which in court is called cross-examination. The goal of interrogation is usually to get information that someone might not want to share, or to test whether their story holds up under pressure.

You might say a curious sibling interrogated you about where you hid the last cookie, meaning they asked question after question until you cracked. Teachers sometimes joke that they feel interrogated when students fire off questions one after another.

An interrogation is the formal process of questioning, and an interrogator is the person doing the questioning. While interrogation is a legitimate tool for finding truth, it can become unfair or even cruel if interrogators use threats, deception, or exhaustion to force false confessions.