1
2
3
4

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective doubtful contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of doubtful are dubious, problematic, and questionable. While all these words mean "not affording assurance of the worth, soundness, or certainty of something," doubtful implies little more than a lack of conviction or certainty.

doubtful about whether I said the right thing

When is dubious a more appropriate choice than doubtful?

The words dubious and doubtful are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, dubious stresses suspicion, mistrust, or hesitation.

dubious about the practicality of the scheme

When is it sensible to use problematic instead of doubtful?

While the synonyms problematic and doubtful are close in meaning, problematic applies especially to things whose existence, meaning, fulfillment, or realization is highly uncertain.

whether the project will ever be finished is problematic

When would questionable be a good substitute for doubtful?

While in some cases nearly identical to doubtful, questionable may imply no more than the existence of doubt but usually suggests that the suspicions are well-grounded.

a man of questionable honesty

Examples Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of doubtful Cummins will lead the 15-member preliminary squad after doubtful concerns about the star bowler of Australia not joining the Champions squad due to an ankle injury. Paras J. Haji, Forbes, 13 Jan. 2025 Jenny Rowland-Shea, director of public lands policy for the Center for American Progress, a liberal think tank, said the timing of Biden’s designations was key, given that Trump’s record on public lands left many doubtful that monument campaigns would advance during his second term. Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 12 Jan. 2025 Josh Richardson is listed as doubtful because of right heel inflammation. Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 12 Jan. 2025 Color us doubtful of that explanation, which would be a little more believable if either Trump or Alito had given us much reason to take them at their word or assume good faith. New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 11 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for doubtful 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for doubtful
Adjective
  • Companies are eager to leverage the technology to gain a competitive advantage, but many are unsure how to handle its complexities.
    Arjun Pillai, Forbes, 24 Jan. 2025
  • Long COVID remains mysterious with health care providers unsure which symptoms can be directly attributed to a COVID-19 infection and how those symptoms may persist.
    Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 23 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • Nevertheless, this position is legally questionable.
    Alden Abbott, Forbes, 17 Jan. 2025
  • Carter was questionable because of left shoulder soreness.
    Jason Anderson, Sacramento Bee, 17 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • Admiration for Juventus left-back Andrea Cambiaso is unlikely to go further in the current market.
    David Ornstein, The Athletic, 19 Jan. 2025
  • As ByteDance has blocked the service, these workarounds are unlikely to be effective for long.
    Ewan Spence, Forbes, 19 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • Be skeptical of anyone who promises immediate cleanup or immediate repairs.
    Zak Doffman, Forbes, 19 Jan. 2025
  • Trump’s diverging views on foreign policy President-elect Donald Trump has been skeptical of U.S. alliances, including NATO and defense partnerships in the Asia-Pacific, all of which the Biden team has worked to shore up over the past four years.
    Matthew Lee, Chicago Tribune, 18 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • Barack Obama faced criticism for the dubious legal rationale behind drone strikes targeting U.S. citizens deemed enemy combatants abroad.
    Victor Menaldo, The Conversation, 16 Jan. 2025
  • When Alyssa's slacker boyfriend steals their rent money, the girls race against the clock to get the funds back to avoid eviction from their dubious landlord, embarking on a series of chaotic escapades across Los Angeles.
    Jessica Wang, EW.com, 16 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • Whether Chappelle needed this advice or not is debatable, given that Chappelle is undoubtedly a seasoned performer.
    Justin Gest, Newsweek, 20 Jan. 2025
  • Whether the park in St. Pete still could open by 2028 is debatable.
    Ken Rosenthal, The Athletic, 17 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • In late June 2024, the Natomas Unified School District IT department shut down the district’s network system, wifi network, VPN services and phone lines after identifying suspicious activity on the network.
    Jennah Pendleton, Sacramento Bee, 14 Jan. 2025
  • Generative models learn typical user behavior patterns, finding deviations that indicate suspicious activity.
    Vishwanadham Mandala, Forbes, 14 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • TikTok’s viability had been uncertain since then-President Trump moved to shut it down in 2020, citing national security concerns.
    Stacy Perman, Los Angeles Times, 19 Jan. 2025
  • While Hoyer’s fate is uncertain, the return of Sosa brought some new life to an often stale product — the annual Cubs Convention.
    Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 18 Jan. 2025

Thesaurus Entries Near doubtful

Cite this Entry

“Doubtful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/doubtful. Accessed 28 Jan. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on doubtful

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!