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Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective questionable contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of questionable are doubtful, dubious, and problematic. While all these words mean "not affording assurance of the worth, soundness, or certainty of something," questionable may imply no more than the existence of doubt but usually suggests that the suspicions are well-grounded.

a man of questionable honesty

Where would doubtful be a reasonable alternative to questionable?

The words doubtful and questionable can be used in similar contexts, but doubtful implies little more than a lack of conviction or certainty.

doubtful about whether I said the right thing

In what contexts can dubious take the place of questionable?

While the synonyms dubious and questionable are close in meaning, dubious stresses suspicion, mistrust, or hesitation.

dubious about the practicality of the scheme

When is it sensible to use problematic instead of questionable?

The synonyms problematic and questionable are sometimes interchangeable, but problematic applies especially to things whose existence, meaning, fulfillment, or realization is highly uncertain.

whether the project will ever be finished is problematic

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 questionable More scandalous than Aster’s omission of a questionable election is the film’s opportunistic George Floyd analogy of racial unrest. Armond White, National Review, 23 July 2025 From hunting expeditions in Africa to questionable insurance claims to a dental practice built on TV fame, Episode 1 sets the stage for what would become an international investigation into a shocking and sudden death. Doc Louallen, ABC News, 21 July 2025 Bradway first appeared in season 12 of Chicago Fire, where his motives seemed ... questionable at best. Samantha Highfill, EW.com, 18 July 2025 The hardcore wipe in Escape From Tarkov got off to a rough start, with some questionable decisions or simple oversights that really hampered the player experience. Mike Stubbs, Forbes.com, 15 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for questionable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for questionable
Adjective
  • But experts tell Fortune these employment disclosures are ethically dubious and have potential for legislative pushback.
    Nino Paoli, Fortune, 25 July 2025
  • On July 1, Paramount agreed to pay $16 million toward Trump’s future presidential library to resolve the president’s legally dubious lawsuit against CBS News.
    Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 24 July 2025
Adjective
  • The state has argued that Black would be unconscious and unlikely to feel pain.
    Kelly Puente, Nashville Tennessean, 30 July 2025
  • However, evidence suggests that consistently getting it right over the long term is extremely unlikely.
    Rory O'Hara, Forbes.com, 30 July 2025
Adjective
  • However, whether or not this type of use has less impact on social life or mental health is debatable.
    Kelly Burch Published, Verywell Health, 21 July 2025
  • While the usefulness of AI features may be debatable, years of OS and software support are not, which gives Samsung the decisive edge.
    PC Magazine, PC Magazine, 12 July 2025
Adjective
  • That chain of events is doubtful since Verstappen backed Horner in the media days before the firing.
    Nelson Espinal, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 July 2025
  • Moments before the ceremony, her attendance was doubtful.
    Ronda Racha Penrice, HollywoodReporter, 14 July 2025
Adjective
  • True resource guarding is a serious issue that often involves strong warning signals from the dog—and can be problematic if left unaddressed.
    Maria Morava, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 July 2025
  • These are problematic, to say the least, as an exploit of the same could lead to the possibility of arbitrary code execution within the browser.
    Davey Winder, Forbes.com, 24 July 2025
Adjective
  • Beyond his work on the sitcom, Hip has been a regular in films by the controversial director Abel Ferrara, including China Girl (1987), Bad Lieutenant (1992), and The Funeral (1996).
    Will Harris, EW.com, 30 July 2025
  • The death was ruled a suicide, a controversial ruling that has become conspiracy fodder and the subject of intense scrutiny.
    Liam Quinn, People.com, 30 July 2025
Adjective
  • Turquoise Alerts are for missing endangered persons under 65 in suspicious circumstances, while Silver Alerts are for those 65+ or with cognitive disabilities.
    Wren Smetana, AZCentral.com, 25 July 2025
  • Cops said an investigation began when a woman who had recently paid for a Chuck E. Cheese birthday party noticed about $100 worth of suspicious charges on her credit card, the Democrat reported.
    Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 24 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Questionable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/questionable. Accessed 3 Aug. 2025.

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