What is Rhetorical Question?
1.
Question asked that is asked for effect and not usually designed for an answer.
Usually encourages the person or people being asked the question to reflect upon their own thoughts and beliefs rather than answer specifically out loud.
Examples of rhetorical questions-
Speaker: "What defense to the homeless have if the government will not protect them?"
Guy: "Did you get some from her last night?"
Other Guy: "Is the sky blue?"
Office Worker: "How stupid is this new filing system we have?"
2.
A question were the speaker does not expect an answer
Bob: Jim, why do you have to be such a dumb ass
Jim: well it all started in the summer of 1995 when...
Bob: That was a rhetorical question dumb ass
See
3.
• Implies it's own answer
• Requires no answer, answer is obvious
"Su, Why are you so freaking stupid?" Jennifer yelled the rhetorical question!
See
4.
A question asked of someone either in identical or varied form by that same person or persons.
It typically cannot be answered since it would have previously been answered.
Therefore, the expectation of that person or persons being questioned is that they need not be expected to respond to it (wastes time and useful energy).
The questioning tends to be done somewhat annoyingly to add emphasis to an initial query. However, the net result is more like an annoying interrogation.
See also:
"Did you look in area X as you said you would?"
"Yes I did. I searched thoroughly but without success."
"Are you sure?" He asks incredulously.
"I believe I've answered your question already. That was a rhetorical question.!"
I ask myself, "If my ability to find something so simple and familiar is so sadly doubtful why the f... don't you look for it yourself?"
Pissed off with this moron, I cut discussion and exit the room.
