doubt

1 of 2

verb

doubted; doubting; doubts

transitive verb

1
: to call into question the truth of : to be uncertain or in doubt about
He doubts everyone's word.
2
a
: to lack confidence in : distrust
… find myself doubting him even when I know that he is honest …H. L. Mencken
b
: to consider unlikely
I doubt if I can go.
3
archaic
a
: fear
… I doubt I have been beguiled!Sir Walter Scott
b
doubtable adjective
doubter noun
doubtingly adverb

doubt

2 of 2

noun

plural doubts
1
a
: a lack of confidence : distrust
has doubts about his abilities
b
: an inclination not to believe or accept
a claim met with doubt
2
a
: uncertainty of belief or opinion that often interferes with decision-making
b
: a deliberate suspension of judgment
3
: a state of affairs giving rise to uncertainty, hesitation, or suspense
The outcome is still in doubt.
Phrases
no doubt
Choose the Right Synonym for doubt

uncertainty, doubt, dubiety, skepticism, suspicion, mistrust mean lack of sureness about someone or something.

uncertainty may range from a falling short of certainty to an almost complete lack of conviction or knowledge especially about an outcome or result.

assumed the role of manager without hesitation or uncertainty

doubt suggests both uncertainty and inability to make a decision.

plagued by doubts as to what to do

dubiety stresses a wavering between conclusions.

felt some dubiety about its practicality

skepticism implies unwillingness to believe without conclusive evidence.

an economic forecast greeted with skepticism

suspicion stresses lack of faith in the truth, reality, fairness, or reliability of something or someone.

regarded the stranger with suspicion

mistrust implies a genuine doubt based upon suspicion.

had a great mistrust of doctors

Examples of doubt in a Sentence

Verb I have always doubted the existence of life on other planets. No one doubts that the mission will be a success. I seriously doubt my parents will let me go. “Do you think you can come tonight?” “I doubt it.” She doubted his ability to succeed. He said he could do it, but I couldn't help doubting him. Noun I still have moments of doubt. There can be little doubt that smoking is bad for your health. I had a nagging doubt in the back of my mind.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
There’s reasons to doubt polling is still always/often accurate. Oliver Darcy, CNN, 5 Mar. 2024 No one doubts that San Francisco and the Bay Area present challenges. Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 29 Feb. 2024 The defense argued that the trio had no reason to doubt the legality of the pages. Catherine Duncan, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 Feb. 2024 Instead of feeding the expectations of others, Saweetie has always opted to let her hard work speak for itself when people have doubted her. Lakin Imani Starling, Allure, 29 Feb. 2024 When his close friend and partner-in-rhyme Max B was sentenced to 75 years for murder, hip-hop consumers doubted his ability to stay relevant by himself. Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 26 Feb. 2024 For those who had doubted his death, this was now confirmation. Jon Schuppe, NBC News, 22 Feb. 2024 Created by Martin Cooper, the cell phone met many skeptics over the years who doubted how far the technology would go. Nadezhda Kosareva, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2024 In this atmosphere of confusion, political analysts doubt that the PMLN and PPP will be able to govern effectively. Hasan Ali, The Christian Science Monitor, 21 Feb. 2024
Noun
Yet Alver has no doubt that Lund’s DNA can be found in Harold Arlen’s melody. Stephen Cox, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Mar. 2024 So the outside noise stays right there, outside, while inside the team’s circle there are no whispers, there is no doubt. Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2024 Once Swift starts the Europe stretch of the Eras Tour on May 9 in Paris, there’s no doubt the new songs will find their way onto the setlist. Ellise Shafer, Variety, 5 Mar. 2024 Whether his forum — and his questioning of Su — led to Senate doubts about her ability to serve is impossible to measure. David Lightman, Sacramento Bee, 1 Mar. 2024 At its core is Webster’s poetic account of her inner struggles, her confusions and doubts, captured in words at once spare and vivid. Steve Hochman, SPIN, 1 Mar. 2024 The pregnancy was planned, but instead of being pleased, doubts and fears assailed me. Amy Dickinson, Washington Post, 29 Feb. 2024 If there’s any doubt about a product, Chen said, consult a pediatrician or dermatologist. Katie Mogg, NBC News, 29 Feb. 2024 Global research by Oracle revealed that 85% reported experiencing decision distress, including regret, guilt or doubts regarding their decisions made in the past year. Oleh Kurtianyk, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'doubt.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

Middle English douten, from Anglo-French duter, douter, from Latin dubitare to be in doubt; akin to Latin dubius dubious

First Known Use

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 3a

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Time Traveler
The first known use of doubt was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near doubt

Cite this Entry

“Doubt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/doubt. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

doubt

1 of 2 verb
1
: to be uncertain about
doubts her sincerity
2
: to lack confidence in
doubted his own abilities
3
: to consider unlikely
doubt if I can go
doubtable adjective
doubter noun
doubtingly adverb

doubt

2 of 2 noun
1
: uncertainty of belief or opinion
2
: the state of being uncertain
the outcome is in doubt
3
a
: a lack of confidence
b
: an inclination not to believe or accept

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