questionable

adjective

ˈkwes-chə-nə-bəl How to pronounce questionable (audio)
Definition of questionablenext
1
as in dubious
giving good reason for being doubted, questioned, or challenged the runner's unexpected first-place finish is questionable, so a drug test has been ordered

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in unlikely
not likely to be true or to occur it's questionable that he will show up tonight considering all the bad weather we're having

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in debatable
open to question or dispute whether it will rain today or not is questionable

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 A word of warning, too, for Madueke — a lot of recent transfers between Chelsea and Arsenal have to be chalked up in the questionable column. —Steve Madeley, New York Times, 11 July 2025 This could also be the year for Amy Adams to finally secure her long-overdue Oscar — but, whether that's for At the Sea (still questionable as to when this one will finally drop) or in Taika Waititi's Kazuo Ishiguro adaptation Klara and the Sun remains to be seen. —EW.com, 7 July 2025 In December, Lopez blocked that joint bid, saying the auction process was unfair, lacked transparency and the joint bid was questionable. —Karoline Leonard, Austin American Statesman, 5 July 2025 The 56-year-old DJ’s timing was questionable, and his statement comes off as defending the controversial mogul. —Armon Sadler, VIBE.com, 3 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for questionable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for questionable
  1. dubious
  2. unlikely
  3. debatable
  4. doubtful
  5. problematic
  6. controversial
  7. suspicious
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
Definition of dubious
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
Definition of unlikely
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
Definition of debatable
Adjective
  • Moments before the ceremony, her attendance was doubtful.
    — Ronda Racha Penrice, HollywoodReporter, 14 July 2025
  • Some experts are keenly doubtful that those efforts will be fully successful.
    — Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 11 July 2025
Definition of doubtful
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
Definition of problematic
Adjective
  • Paxton, the controversial state attorney general who survived an impeachment trial last year, is running against long-serving Senator John Cornyn.
    — Karlyn Bowman, Forbes.com, 16 July 2025
  • The drop follows a wave of controversial policy moves, including the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill and expanded tariffs on Canadian imports.
    — Amanda Castro Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 July 2025
Definition of controversial
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
  • Police said in a news conference that there were no signs of suspicious activity in his death and an investigation is ongoing.
    — Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 24 July 2025
Definition of suspicious

Browse Nearby Words

question
questionable
questionableness
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Cite this Entry

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

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