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A good debate question has two sides and no easy answer. Use these in class, at a party, on a long drive or in a WhatsApp group chat.
Pick a section, tap copy and send. Want a game with fewer rules? Try this or that questions.
How to Play a Debate Game
- Pick a question and split the group into two sides. Toss a coin if nobody wants the weird side.
- Each side gets one minute to make its case. No interrupting.
- Each side gets 30 seconds to reply to the other.
- Everyone votes. The side that changed the most minds wins, not the loudest one.
On WhatsApp: send a question, make a poll with the two sides, and ask for the best one-line argument. The funniest reason picks the next question.
In class: write the question on the board, have students vote before and after, then ask who switched sides and why.
Funny Debate Questions
Silly arguments that everyone has an opinion on. Great for warming up a group.
- Is a hot dog a sandwich?
- Is cereal a soup?
- Does pineapple belong on pizza?
- Is water wet?
- Should ketchup go in the fridge or the cupboard?
- Is a taco a sandwich?
- Do you put milk in first or cereal first?
- Is a hot pocket a sandwich, a pie or neither?
- Should toilet paper hang over or under?
- Are socks with sandals ever okay?
- Is it a crime to eat pizza with a fork and knife?
- Would cats or dogs win in a war?
- Is Pluto still a planet in your heart?
- Is a straw one hole or two?
- Is breakfast for dinner better than dinner for breakfast?
- Should you shower in the morning or at night?
- Is a burger with no bun still a burger?
- Are naps for kids or for everyone?
- Is it okay to wear pajamas to the grocery store?
- Should you fold or scrunch toilet paper?
- Is a cupcake just a small cake or its own thing?
- Is it rude to recline your seat on a flight?
- Does the person sitting in the middle seat get both armrests?
- Can you be friends with someone who hates chocolate?
- Is a jelly bean a fruit or a candy?
- Is it okay to put ketchup on everything?
- Who would win: one horse-sized duck or 100 duck-sized horses?
- Should superheroes pay for the damage they cause?
- Is it lunch or brunch at 11:30 am?
- Is "five more minutes" ever really five minutes?
Debate Questions for Friends and Group Chats
For your gang, roommates, college friends and the group chat at midnight.
- Is leaving someone on read for a day okay?
- Should the person who suggests the plan also pay for it?
- Is it okay to share your friend's food without asking?
- Is a voice note better than a long text?
- Should you tell your friend if their crush is bad news?
- Is the friend who is always late really a friend?
- Should group trips be planned or just happen?
- Is it okay to mute the group chat?
- Should you split the bill equally or pay for what you ordered?
- Is texting "k" the rudest reply ever?
- Is it okay to read your friend's chats over their shoulder?
- Should best friends share their phone passwords?
- Is it weird to keep screenshots of old chats?
- Should you text first after a fight?
- Is "seen" with no reply worse than no "seen" at all?
- Is it okay to post a group photo where you look good and others do not?
- Who is more annoying: the friend who sends 20 texts or the one who sends one essay?
- Should you tag friends in memes they did not ask for?
- Is it okay to cancel plans at the last minute if you are tired?
- Should the birthday person pay for the party or the friends?
- Is a best friend from school better than a best friend from college?
- Is it okay to have a separate group chat without one friend?
- Should your friend's ex be off limits forever?
- Is borrowing clothes and never returning them stealing?
- Is a "good morning" text every day sweet or too much?
Debate Topics for Kids (Elementary, Class 1 to 5)
Simple, concrete topics for young kids. Keep it short and let them shout their reasons.
- Are cats better pets than dogs?
- Should kids get homework on weekends?
- Is summer better than winter?
- Should every school have a pet in class?
- Is it better to be a kid or a grown-up?
- Should kids be allowed to pick their own bedtime?
- Are books better than movies?
- Is it better to live in a city or a village?
- Should recess be longer than lunch?
- Is ice cream a good breakfast?
- Should kids get pocket money for doing chores?
- Are dinosaurs cooler than dragons?
- Is it better to be the oldest or the youngest kid?
- Should school uniforms be fun colors?
- Is drawing better than painting?
- Should kids be allowed to have a phone?
- Is the beach better than the mountains?
- Would it be better to fly or be invisible?
- Should zoos exist?
- Is rainy weather fun or boring?
Debate Topics for Middle School (Class 6 to 8)
Topics that tweens care about. Add opening statements and one rebuttal each.
- Should students be allowed to use phones in school?
- Should homework be banned in middle school?
- Do video games help kids learn?
- Should school start later in the morning?
- Should kids under 13 be on social media?
- Is online school better than going to school?
- Should junk food be sold in the school canteen?
- Should students grade their teachers?
- Are school uniforms a good idea?
- Should every student learn to code?
- Should PE be graded?
- Is it better to read on paper or on a screen?
- Should kids be paid for good grades?
- Should school have a four-day week?
- Are group projects fair?
- Should students be allowed to call teachers by their first name?
- Is it okay to use AI to help with homework?
- Should every school have a garden?
- Is a pet a good gift for a kid?
- Should the summer break be shorter?
Debate Topics for High School (Class 9 to 12)
Serious enough for a class debate or a school contest, safe enough for every room.
- Should schools let students use AI tools for essays?
- Should social media apps have an age limit of 16?
- Is college still worth the cost?
- Should voting be allowed at 16?
- Should schools teach money skills like taxes and budgeting?
- Are exams the best way to test learning?
- Should students get a gap year before college?
- Should cell phones be banned in classrooms?
- Is homework more harm than good?
- Should schools replace textbooks with tablets?
- Should every student do community service to graduate?
- Is it better to choose a career for money or for passion?
- Should part-time jobs be encouraged for teens?
- Should screen time be limited by parents?
- Does social media do more harm than good to teens?
- Should schools have a dress code?
- Should students be allowed to retake exams?
- Is space exploration worth the money?
- Should plastic bags be banned everywhere?
- Should junk food ads be banned during kids' shows?
- Is it fair to rank students by marks?
- Should coaching classes be needed to crack exams?
- Should sports be as important as academics?
- Is online learning as good as classroom learning?
- Should every school teach a second language?
Debate Topics for College Students and Adults
For college clubs, office icebreakers and dinner tables with opinions.
- Should the work week be four days?
- Is working from home better than working from an office?
- Should tipping be mandatory?
- Is it better to rent or buy a house?
- Should attendance be compulsory in college?
- Is a degree more important than skills?
- Should everyone learn to cook before 25?
- Is it better to save money or spend it on experiences?
- Should you stay friends with your ex?
- Is hustle culture good or harmful?
- Should online reviews be trusted?
- Is it better to have a few close friends or many friends?
- Should people retire early?
- Are smartphones making us less social?
- Is AI going to create more jobs than it takes?
- Should college be free?
- Is it okay to lie on a dating profile about your height?
- Should you move out of your parents' home after college?
- Is it better to marry early or late?
- Is online shopping killing local shops?
Controversial but Safe Debate Questions
Spicy enough to start a real argument, with no politics or religion. Good for teens and mixed groups.
- Is it ever okay to lie to protect someone's feelings?
- Should you tell your friend if their partner is cheating?
- Is it better to be honest or kind?
- Should parents check their kids' phones?
- Is it okay to unfollow a friend on social media?
- Are influencers real role models?
- Should celebrities be judged for their old posts?
- Is it okay to regift a present?
- Is money the key to happiness?
- Should kids be famous on social media?
- Is cancel culture fair?
- Is it okay to ghost someone after one date?
- Should reality shows be allowed?
- Is it rude to use your phone at dinner?
- Should you lend money to friends?
- Is cheating in a game as bad as cheating in an exam?
- Should you forgive someone who never says sorry?
- Are first impressions usually right?
- Is it fine to fake being sick to skip school once?
- Is being popular in school important?
- Should kids get the same punishment as their siblings?
- Is it okay to read someone's diary if you are worried about them?
- Are participation trophies a good idea?
- Is it better to be feared or liked as a class monitor?
- Should you always take your best friend's side in a fight?
- Is it okay to keep a secret from your parents?
Would You Rather Debates
Two choices, two sides. Each side argues for its pick. For a bigger list, see our would you rather questions.
- Would you rather be rich with no friends or poor with many friends?
- Would you rather read minds or see the future?
- Would you rather never use social media again or never watch TV again?
- Would you rather live without music or without movies?
- Would you rather be famous or be the best friend of someone famous?
- Would you rather time travel to the past or the future?
- Would you rather have more time or more money?
- Would you rather be the smartest or the funniest person in class?
- Would you rather live on the beach or in the mountains?
- Would you rather have no phone for a month or no friends for a week?
- Would you rather speak every language or play every instrument?
- Would you rather never be late again or never be tired again?
- Would you rather know how you die or when you die?
- Would you rather be a superhero or a wizard?
- Would you rather only eat pizza or only eat biryani for a year?
Quick This vs That Debates
Two words, one fight. Perfect for a fast round where each side gets 20 seconds.
- Morning person vs night owl
- Coffee vs tea
- Beach vs mountains
- Books vs movies
- iPhone vs Android
- Texting vs calling
- Summer vs winter
- Pizza vs burger
- Netflix vs YouTube
- Marvel vs DC
- Sweet vs salty
- Cats vs dogs
- Instagram vs Snapchat
- Online class vs offline class
- Early bird vs last-minute
- Introvert vs extrovert
- Road trip vs flight
- City life vs village life
- Window seat vs aisle seat
- Board games vs video games
- Spring vs fall
- Shower vs bath
- Fries vs onion rings
- Ice cream vs cake
- Cooking at home vs eating out
Debate Questions for Couples
Light fights for date night. Nobody sleeps on the couch.
- Who should say "I love you" first?
- Should couples share passwords?
- Is it okay to have a best friend of the opposite gender?
- Should couples split the bill or take turns?
- Is it okay to watch the next episode without your partner?
- Who controls the TV remote?
- Should you post your relationship online?
- Is a surprise party sweet or stressful?
- Who should plan the dates?
- Is it okay to go to bed angry?
- Are matching outfits cute or cringe?
- Should couples have a joint bank account?
Debate Questions for Work
Safe and quick for team meetings, office parties and icebreakers.
- Is reply all ever a good idea?
- Should meetings be banned on Fridays?
- Is a call better than an email?
- Should cameras be on in video meetings?
- Is the office fridge a shared space or a private one?
- Is it okay to eat lunch at your desk?
- Are open offices good for work?
- Should emojis be allowed in work chats?
- Is it rude to message a coworker after hours?
- Should there be a nap room at every office?
- Is dressing casual better for work?
- Are team outings fun or forced?
Indian Debate Topics (Cricket, Bollywood, Chai)
For Indian classrooms, families and group chats. Some are school favorites, some are pure chaos.
- Chai vs coffee: which is India's real drink?
- Is IPL better than Test cricket?
- Should Bollywood stop making remakes?
- Are joint families better than nuclear families?
- Is it okay to skip a family function for exams?
- Should Indian schools give less homework?
- Are coaching classes necessary to crack JEE and NEET?
- Is online learning a boon or a bane?
- Should mobile phones be allowed in Indian schools?
- Is technology a boon or a curse?
- Should English be compulsory in all schools?
- Should Indian students study abroad or in India?
- Are arranged marriages better than love marriages?
- Is the family WhatsApp group helpful or annoying?
- Samosa vs vada pav: which is the best snack?
- Is it better to live in a metro city or a small town?
- Should marks decide your stream in Class 11?
- Is cricket getting too much attention over other sports?
- Should parents decide their kids' careers?
- Are Indian TV serials too dramatic?
Tips for Running a Debate in Class
- Start funny, then go serious. A hot dog debate warms up a shy class better than a serious one.
- Match the format to the age. Kids just give a reason. Middle schoolers add a rebuttal. High schoolers need evidence and time limits.
- Debate ideas, not people. Teach phrases like "I see your point, but..." and ban name-calling.
- Vote twice. A vote before and after shows who argued well, not just who was popular.
- Make students argue the side they disagree with once in a while. It builds real thinking.
More Question Games
Done debating? Try rapid fire questions for a fast round, most likely to questions for the group chat, or icebreaker questions for a new class. Want a dare after the debate? Our WhatsApp dare games have plenty. For quizzes about your friends, visit QuotedTale Quiz.
What are good debate questions?
A good debate question has two clear sides and no obvious answer, like "Should school start later?" or "Is a hot dog a sandwich?". It should be easy to understand and hard to answer in one word.
What are funny debate topics?
Funny topics are silly but still split a room, like "Is cereal a soup?", "Does pineapple belong on pizza?" or "Is water wet?". They are great for warming up a class or a group of friends.
What are easy debate topics for beginners?
Pick topics from daily life: cats vs dogs, homework on weekends, phones in school or summer vs winter. Beginners argue better when they already have an opinion.
How do you play a debate game with friends?
Split into two sides, give each side one minute to argue and 30 seconds to reply, then vote. On WhatsApp, send the question as a poll and ask for the best one-line argument.
What are good debate topics for students?
Phones in school, homework, AI for essays, school start times, uniforms and social media age limits work well. Use the kids, middle school and high school sections above to match the age.
What are safe controversial debate topics?
Topics like "Is it okay to lie to protect someone's feelings?" or "Should parents check their kids' phones?" start real arguments without politics or religion. They work for teens and mixed groups.
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