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Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective dubious contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of dubious are doubtful, problematic, and questionable. While all these words mean "not affording assurance of the worth, soundness, or certainty of something," dubious stresses suspicion, mistrust, or hesitation.

dubious about the practicality of the scheme

When would doubtful be a good substitute for dubious?

The meanings of doubtful and dubious largely overlap; however, doubtful implies little more than a lack of conviction or certainty.

doubtful about whether I said the right thing

Where would problematic be a reasonable alternative to dubious?

While in some cases nearly identical to dubious, problematic applies especially to things whose existence, meaning, fulfillment, or realization is highly uncertain.

whether the project will ever be finished is problematic

When could questionable be used to replace dubious?

The words questionable and dubious can be used in similar contexts, but questionable may imply no more than the existence of doubt but usually suggests that the suspicions are well-grounded.

a man of questionable honesty

Example 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 dubious Thornton’s Tommy has an ex-wife and a daughter who are seemingly characters plucked from dubious scenarios on PornHub. Stephen Rodrick, Rolling Stone, 9 Mar. 2025 Then, in early 2025, a certain South African’s activity on social media, the acquisition of Twitter, a frenzied foray into politics, a few dubious salutes, and now the brand is imploding. Peter Lyon, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025 But mobster Reggie Fontaine (Freeman), who’s been bankrolling Max’s dubious projects, is not at all amused. Joe Leydon, Variety, 5 Mar. 2025 The material cost of this territory of dubious value has been shocking. Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 5 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for dubious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dubious
Adjective
  • Some questionable late-race maneuvering saw Hamilton finish tenth, nine spots back of McLaren’s Lando Norris, eight spots behind longtime rival Verstappen, and seven spots worse than former Mercedes-AMG Petronas teammate, George Russell.
    Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 18 Mar. 2025
  • Kings forward Trey Lyles was cleared to play after being listed as questionable with lower back soreness.
    Jason Anderson, Sacramento Bee, 18 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • This time Ford and a reluctant McClintock can't afford not to act as the bodies keep piling up.
    Ars Technica, Ars Technica, 14 Mar. 2025
  • Employees can be reluctant to change their old habits, and introducing a new tool or platform can be challenging.
    Andrius Buinovskis, Forbes, 14 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • But impeachment and removal are unlikely under the current makeup of Congress.
    Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 20 Mar. 2025
  • Weaver says that these mega-events are unlikely to have a huge impact on sponsorship value though as stadium sponsorship deals are long-term deals.
    Steve Price, Forbes, 20 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • While there may be any number of reasons for doing that, don’t necessarily assume that the national Republican Party’s skeptical views on climate and taxes will affect local levels.
    Ron Lieber, New York Times, 19 Mar. 2025
  • Still, learning to think like a historian does not necessarily prepare someone to be a skeptical news consumer.
    Lightning Jay, The Conversation, 19 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Joey’s still hesitant about Monica’s sister, Nicolle.
    Jennifer Zhan, Vulture, 7 Mar. 2025
  • But with Trump’s tariffs threatening imports from Mexico, Canada, and China, Target could face additional challenges as consumers grow more hesitant.
    Francisco Velasquez, Quartz, 4 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • The effective gag order has left nonprofit leaders, local governments and tribes stunned and unsure about how to move forward in spending the EPA grants they were awarded.
    MaryAlice Parks, ABC News, 12 Mar. 2025
  • Starvation could have been a cause of death but officials are still unsure, Phipps said, noting that dogs do not get sick from hantavirus.
    Dalia Faheid, CNN, 8 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Customers are also encouraged to report any suspicious messages to our 24/7 customer service team or by clicking on ‘report an issue’ which is included in the chat function.
    Davey Winder, Forbes, 14 Mar. 2025
  • After all, Burt’s intentions have been suspicious all season.
    Ben Travers, IndieWire, 14 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Letters penned by women were more likely to use a positive tone and less likely to use doubtful language.
    ByScience News Staff, science.org, 20 Mar. 2025
  • Explain The Next Steps In The Event Of A Data Compromise Individuals are rightfully doubtful about most organizations’ ability to protect their data when breaches frequent headlines, privacy terms are dense and simplicity is rare.
    Expert Panel®, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Dubious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dubious. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.

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