Humanities Trivia Questions
943 trivia questions with answers, all ages. Multiple-choice trivia with answers, sorted by topic and level. Reveal the answers below, pick one at random, or present them full-screen.
- 1.
Where did Diego Velazquez, a Spanish Baroque Era painter, spend his middle period?
- AMadrid
- BGenoa
- CBarcelona
- DFlorence
Answer: Madrid - 2.
Camulatz is the bird that ate the heads of the first men according to this mythology.
- AMaya
- BChinese
- CChippewa
- DPersian
Answer: Maya - 3.
Sigmund Freud, who was a heavy cigar smoker, developed this disease.
- AStroke
- BOral cancer
- CLung cancer
- DHeart attack
Answer: Oral cancer - 4.
Can you define the word nimbus?
- Aa radioactive element
- Ban alcove or recess in a wall
- Ca halo or bright light
- Da state of being numb
Answer: a halo or bright light - 5.
Which of these B words means shortness of duration?
- Abrevity
- Bbureaucracy
- Cblasphemy
- Dbuffoonery
Answer: brevity - 6.
Which one of these words means to soil or defile?
- Abewitch
- Bbesmirch
- Cbeseech
- Dbroach
Answer: besmirch - 7.
Which of these popular proverbs means the opposite of Silence is golden?
- AThe squeaky wheel gets the grease
- BLoose lips sink ships
- CSaying is one thing, doing is another
- DWalls have ears
Answer: The squeaky wheel gets the grease - 8.
In the premiere of the 1955 Broadway play Inherit the Wind, who played the role of the prosecutor?
- AJack Warden
- BHenry Fonda
- CEd Begley
- DJohn Cameron Swayze
Answer: Ed Begley - 9.
This constellation was named after a creature from the Greek mythology which is a combination between a human and a horse. Such creatures were of violent nature but there was one exception - Chiron, who was the tutor of Hercules.
- ACentaur
- BDelphinus
- CEridanus
- DAuriga
Answer: Centaur - 10.
What is a Tombola?
- AA type of lottery
- BA bone of the inner ear
- CA musical instrument
- DA male cricketer
Answer: A type of lottery - 11.
The song Ole Man River from Showboat was written for a notorious basso. Although not in the original production, this basso came on board for the revival in 1932. Who was he?
- ARobert Goulet
- BPaul Robeson
- CWilliam Warfield
- DJohn Raitt
Answer: Paul Robeson - 12.
One of the symbols of the Spanish culture is the Flamenco (Flamenco originally meant Flemish in Spanish). At first Flamenco consisted only of unaccompanied singing, but later came the other essential ingredients, such as the dance and the guitar. What is the name of the flamenco guitar?
- ABaile
- BToque
- CPalmas
- DCajon
Answer: Toque - 13.
What is Jamie Foxxs role in the movie Dreamgirls?
- AC. C. White
- BMarty Madison
- CCurtis Taylor, Jr.
- DJames Thunder Early
Answer: Curtis Taylor, Jr. - 14.
The Greek goddess of flowers is Chloris. Who is the Roman goddess of flowers, the personification of spring?
- AGaia
- BFauna
- CDiana
- DFlora
Answer: Flora - 15.
Which day of the week does the Spanish word 'martes' denote?
- AFriday
- BTuesday
- CMonday
- DWednesday
Answer: Tuesday - 16.
The Chinese term Kowtow refers to an act of deep respect. How is it performed?
- ABy kissing hand
- BBy bowing
- CBy kissing cheek
- DBy kneeling and bowing so low as to touch the head to the ground
Answer: By kneeling and bowing so low as to touch the head to the ground - 17.
What is the official language in Egypt?
- AArabic
- BEnglish
- CFrench
- DEgyptian
Answer: Arabic - 18.
Yoga literally means this.
- AUnion
- BExercise
- CCreation
- DLifting
Answer: Union - 19.
Literally (not figuratively), what does the word adieu mean?
- Ahello
- Bfarewell
- Cto God
- Dwhat
Answer: to God - 20.
One of the most popular Latin American dances is cha-cha-cha. It became popular in the United States in the 1950s and its music was derived from the music of this dance.
- AFoxtrot
- BMerengue
- CPolka
- DMambo
Answer: Mambo - 21.
What is the term for obsessive love of wild animals?
- AZoaphilia
- BPogophilia
- CAgriozoophilia
- DAtelophilia
Answer: Agriozoophilia - 22.
Choose the B word that means rough or noisy.
- Aboorish
- Bbawdy
- Cboisterous
- Dbland
Answer: boisterous - 23.
What is the end of the proverb 'Two wrongs don't make ...'?
- AThe world's a better place
- BA fight
- CIt's easier
- DA right
Answer: A right - 24.
Where would find a half track?
- Ain a plane
- Bin your car
- Cin the military
- Din a gym
Answer: in the military - 25.
The largest language family (a group of historically related languages) is the Indo-European family, which includes well-known European languages such as English, French and Russian. Which of the following languages is NOT a member of this family?
- AArmenian
- BKurdish
- CHebrew
- DHindi
Answer: Hebrew - 26.
What was unique about Howard Simms tap dancing style?
- AHe danced backwards.
- BHe did acrobatics while dancing.
- CHe danced barefooted.
- DHe danced on a 3 square foot plank.
Answer: He danced on a 3 square foot plank. - 27.
In which country is Flemish mostly spoken?
- AHolland
- BFrance
- CBelgium
- DLuxembourg
Answer: Belgium - 28.
It is believed that the goblin legend began in what European country?
- AGermany
- BEngland
- CFrance
- DIreland
Answer: France - 29.
My dad is an avid fisherman. If he were a Spanish fisherman, what would his profession be called?
- Aflorista
- Bartesano
- Cpescador
- Dcartero
Answer: pescador - 30.
Which word refers to a very long-winded person?
- AA.S.S. Graduate
- Btwonk
- Clopomo
- Dmzee
Answer: A.S.S. Graduate - 31.
Which of the following group of animals is not referred to as a herd?
- ARhinoceroses
- BWalruses
- CBoars
- DChinchillas
Answer: Rhinoceroses - 32.
What is the meaning of the archaic word betwixt?
- ABetween
- BRejected
- CDumbfounded or bewildered
- DBewitched
Answer: Between - 33.
What does blase mean?
- Aunimpressed
- Bbleak
- Ctired
- Dblazer
Answer: unimpressed - 34.
Ottavio Leoni, an Italian Baroque Era printmaker and painter, painted which of the following drawings?
- AJudith with the Head of Holofernes
- BGrotesque Head
- CRitratto di Paolo Morigia
- DUrban III
Answer: Urban III - 35.
Probably the most famous and influential ballroom dance is Waltz. Its closed position became an example for many other dances and made it very fashionable. Waltz first became popular in this city and then spread all over the world.
- ALondon
- BToledo
- CParis
- DVienna
Answer: Vienna - 36.
In how many countries is Spanish the official language?
- A15
- B21
- C12
- D32
Answer: 21 - 37.
In which of these countries is Spanish not an official language?
- APeru
- BColombia
- CBrazil
- DHonduras
Answer: Brazil - 38.
The classical tutu, worn by ballerinas, is featured in this French artists ballet paintings.
- AHenri Matisse
- BEdgar Degas
- CClaude Monet
- DPierre-Auguste Renoir
Answer: Edgar Degas - 39.
What is the missing word in the popular proverb, If you chase two ____ you will not catch either one?
- ARabbits
- BTigers
- CDeers
- DColds
Answer: Rabbits - 40.
What is the Banshee spirit from Irish mythology associated with?
- ADeath
- BFood
- CBirth
- DWealth
Answer: Death - 41.
What is the word for table in French?
- Aarmoire
- Btable
- Cescritoire
- Dchaise
Answer: table - 42.
When something contains or yields an acid, it is this.
- AAcidimetric
- BAcidiferous
- CAcidophilous
- DAcidifiable
Answer: Acidiferous - 43.
The nation of Singapore has four official languages. However, all education is conducted in this language, by law.
- AChinese
- BTamil
- CEnglish
- DMalay
Answer: English - 44.
The monitoring, recording, and measuring of a living organisms basic physiological functions is known as this.
- ABiotelemetry
- BBipartisanism
- CBiosystematy
- DBiomedicine
Answer: Biotelemetry - 45.
Which word means a person learning the alphabet?
- Aabcadarian
- Bavuncularian
- Cabecedarian
- Dabcederrian
Answer: abecedarian - 46.
What is the missing word in the popular saying: All is fair in love and ...?
- APolitics
- BWar
- CHatred
- DCare
Answer: War - 47.
What other name is used for the language known as Siksika and Pikanii, which is spoken in North America?
- ABigmouth
- BBlackmouth
- CBlackfoot
- DBigfoot
Answer: Blackfoot - 48.
This Latin phrase means to a sickening or tiresome degree.
- Asin vibre
- Bin tota nauseam
- Csic malaria
- Dad nauseam
Answer: ad nauseam - 49.
When is it proper to say Nunc est bibendum?
- AIn court
- BWhen you want to smoke
- CAt a catholic mass
- DAt a party
Answer: At a party - 50.
What was the Mona Lisa painting called when it was in the collection at the palace at Fontainebleau?
- AA courtesan in a gauze veil
- BMadam Lisa Gioconda
- CThe Mona Lisa
- DWife of a wealthy Florentine
Answer: A courtesan in a gauze veil
How to use these trivia questions
- Warm-up. Open a lesson or meeting with 3–5 questions — enough to wake the room, short enough to keep the agenda.
- Review game. Pick 10 questions on the topic you just taught and play them in teams; discuss every wrong answer.
- Quiz night. Mix two or three topics, read each question twice, and give 20 seconds before revealing the answer.
Run them live
Want every person to answer on their own phone, with a timer and a live leaderboard? Use these questions in an EngageSlide Quiz with a live leaderboard — free to start.
Tick questions on any page — your set is kept while you browse (or take the first 10 here) — and they become ready-to-play slides. What is EngageSlide?