variants also problematical

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective problematic contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of problematic are doubtful, dubious, and questionable. While all these words mean "not affording assurance of the worth, soundness, or certainty of something," problematic applies especially to things whose existence, meaning, fulfillment, or realization is highly uncertain.

whether the project will ever be finished is problematic

When might doubtful be a better fit than problematic?

The words doubtful and problematic are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, doubtful implies little more than a lack of conviction or certainty.

doubtful about whether I said the right thing

When can dubious be used instead of problematic?

The synonyms dubious and problematic are sometimes interchangeable, but dubious stresses suspicion, mistrust, or hesitation.

dubious about the practicality of the scheme

When is it sensible to use questionable instead of problematic?

While the synonyms questionable and problematic are close in meaning, 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 problematic If an attorney believes someone at the company is engaged in legally problematic conduct, the attorney has an obligation to raise the issue all the way up the organization’s highest authority if necessary. Chris Deubert, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025 The second period, with the long change, has been problematic for the B’s, lowlighted by the embarrassing second period against the Lightning last Saturday in which they were outshot 21-0. Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 21 Mar. 2025 After rapper Kanye West attacked her 7-year-old grandchildren in a heinous, unprovoked tirade, Mama Tina took to Instagram with an indirect message for the problematic rapper. Mya Abraham, VIBE.com, 20 Mar. 2025 Fake or illegitimate reviews plague the internet, and such reviews are particularly problematic within fintechs, where customer trust is imperative to ensure confidence in services tied to sensitive information, such as your banking details or other personally identifiable information. Branden Abushanab, Forbes, 14 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for problematic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for problematic
Adjective
  • As college sports continues its rapid professionalization, the ACC is in a difficult spot.
    Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 19 Mar. 2025
  • Most of the files are scans of documents, and some are blurred or have become faint or difficult to read in the decades since Kennedy's assassination.
    Joel Shannon, USA TODAY, 19 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Kings forward Trey Lyles was cleared to play after being listed as questionable with lower back soreness.
    Jason Anderson, Sacramento Bee, 18 Mar. 2025
  • Jokic was listed as questionable for this game and won't play in this contest.
    David Faris, Newsweek, 18 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • My way of allocating stagehands to a load-out was to write the names down on Post-its, like sticky white things, and put them on their shirts.
    Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 23 Mar. 2025
  • His defense on Ashworth in the second half was superb, sticky and lacking in no detail.
    Joe Rexrode, The Athletic, 23 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • How much should be blamed on Spoelstra is debatable.
    Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 19 Mar. 2025
  • The effects of retail therapy on mood improvement are debatable.
    Chris Weatherspoon, The Athletic, 19 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Getting out of bed early is less complicated than people think, according to Barrett.
    Michael Dorgan, Fox News, 23 Mar. 2025
  • Truth is, the rules on early withdrawals are complicated and seem to be constantly changing.
    Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes, 22 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Weiss was fired in January 2023 after a report of suspicious computer activity at Schembechler Hall, Michigan’s football facility.
    Austin Meek, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2025
  • Contact the company directly through official channels, avoiding the contact information from the suspicious job listing.
    Caroline Castrillon, Forbes.com, 27 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

“Problematic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/problematic. Accessed 31 Mar. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on problematic

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