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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

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 doubtful Ticketing companies show support for Donald Trump's executive order, others prove to be doubtful of 'meaningful change' Live Nation, parent company of Ticketmaster, issued a statement supporting Trump's executive order and calling for a cap on resale prices. Diana Leyva, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025 The bill is doubtful to get support from any Senate Democrat, but under special Senate rules, only 51 Republicans are needed to sign-off and avoid a filibuster. Savannah Kuchar, USA Today, 28 June 2025 Whether Afshar could have solved this is highly doubtful, since the problem rests heavily with Musk’s own decisions. Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 27 June 2025 But some fear Newsom might even veto the $110 million, although this seems doubtful, given the public anger that could generate. George Skelton, Mercury News, 25 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for doubtful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for doubtful
Adjective
  • Local media outlets earlier in the day said that Ishiba was unsure of his future and would take a call on whether to continue as prime minister in August.
    Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 23 July 2025
  • If the Dodgers are unable to make a deal with Cleveland, there are other options on the market, but many teams are unsure of their path leading up to the trade deadline.
    Hunter Mulholland, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 July 2025
Adjective
  • With questionable Dolphins secondary, can better pass rush make up for the back end?
    Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 15 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
Adjective
  • So worst-case would be a fifth-place finish, which is unlikely.
    Mark Hughes, Forbes.com, 16 July 2025
  • Trump is unlikely to allow India’s policy toward Ukraine to determine the future of a U.S.-India deal or a thaw in trade tensions, for example, and likewise with China.
    Thomas Wright, The Atlantic, 15 July 2025
Adjective
  • Coastal elites are always skeptical about whether a fast-growth, deep tech company can be built in the Midwest.
    Kathleen Gallagher, jsonline.com, 15 July 2025
  • In their interviews with town businessmen, the Sodality women try to convince the men that more hygienic practices will actually improve their bottom line, but the men are skeptical: why do anything new?
    Deborah Williams July 14, Literary Hub, 14 July 2025
Adjective
  • In his regulation dark navy blazer, Prince George is in command, if slightly dubious about the goings on, at the oak desk of the rail.
    Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025
  • The end result is two teams — the White Sox last year, and the Rockies this year — that face an uncomfortable situation of fighting to avoid these dubious marks.
    Sam Blum, New York Times, 7 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
  • 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
Adjective
  • Whether the court grants access to the grand jury documents remains uncertain, but for now, Trump appears determined to reclaim control of the narrative.
    Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 July 2025
  • Still, for Connecticut’s two Job Corps centers, the future is uncertain.
    Janhavi Munde, Hartford Courant, 18 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Doubtful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/doubtful. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.

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