doubtful

Examples

• All

• But again, it is doubtful that they will do so on their own.

  Academic text (1992)

• And without an abiding capacity for citizenship, it is doubtful that democracy can flourish.

  Academic text (2017)

• And it's very doubtful that we do agree on the content of human rights.

• And I remember hearing his story and thinking, this is great, but it's doubtful that anything like this could ever happen in India.

• It's doubtful he actually built it, but he certainly wrote out the plans for one.

  Crutch (2004)

• If one does not understand the spoken word, it is doubtful that one can obtain the meaning from reading.

  Academic text (1993)

• Has it ever occurred to you that friendship, at best, is a rather doubtful asset?

  The Invisible Man Returns (1940)

• In the age of satellites and Internet, it is doubtful that Trump TV as state TV could totally drown out outside voices.

  GQ

• The Manhattan Project has been plagued from the start by certain scientists of doubtful discretion and uncertain loyalty.

  Oppenheimer (2023)

• The government says plainly, that a nation of 17 million, Can't afford to spend the bulk of its defense budget On planes of doubtful strategic value.

  The Arrow (1997)

Synonyms

U

unlikely

vsdoubtful

486 1.9

People do not expect it to happen or be true

includes that low likelihood but also adds a sense of suspicion

S

skeptical

vsdoubtful

• US

261 4.2

Not easily believing that something is true

describes the thing itself as probably not true or genuine

I

in question

vsdoubtful

202 5.8

Not certain because people doubt or suspect it

is a broader label meaning likely suspect or not genuine

Q

questionable

vsdoubtful

162 3.9

Probably not true or trustworthy

focuses more narrowly on being unlikely or not genuine

U

uncertain

vsdoubtful

145 2.8

Not known for sure and likely to change

leans more toward doubting truth or genuineness rather than just instability

U

unsure

vsdoubtful

99 1.5

Not confident or certain about what to do

refers instead to the thing being seen as unlikely or suspicious

D

dubious

vsdoubtful

88 6.5

Not clearly true or trustworthy and causing doubt

covers the same suspicion but in a more neutral, general sense

I

implausible

vsdoubtful

25 7.0

Not likely to be true or hard to believe

labels the same thing but with less emphasis on disbelief strength

U

unconvinced

vsdoubtful

12 5.1

Not sure that something is true or will work

judges the claim itself as unlikely or not genuine

A

a bit sketchy

vsdoubtful

• Informal

1 8.6

A little suspicious and not easy to trust

is the standard term describing likely untruth or general uncertainty

D

doubty

vsdoubtful

• Archaic

1 9.9

Not sure what will happen or what people will decide

is the modern common way to describe the same uncertainty

D

dubitable

vsdoubtful

• Formal

1 9.9

Not clearly true or certain

is the neutral everyday expression for something seen as unlikely or suspicious

Antonyms

C

certain

286 1.0

Sure to happen or be true

How Doubtful

fraudulent

87 6.5

doubtful

54 3.0

suspicious

261 2.7

questionable

162 3.9

genuine

140 3.2

Surface Forms

Morphology

Etymology