doubt

1 of 2

verb

ˈdau̇t

doubted; doubting; doubts

Synonyms of doubt next

transitive verb

: to call into question the truth of : to be uncertain or in doubt about

He doubts everyone's word.

: to lack confidence in : distrust

… find myself doubting him even when I know that he is honest …—

H. L. Mencken

: to consider unlikely

I doubt if I can go.

archaic

: fear

… I doubt I have been beguiled!—

Sir Walter Scott

: suspect

intransitive verb

: to be uncertain

doubtable

ˈdau̇-tə-bəl

adjective

doubter noun

doubtingly

ˈdau̇-tiŋ-lē

adverb

doubt

2 of 2

noun

plural doubts

: a lack of confidence : distrust

has doubts about his abilities

: an inclination not to believe or accept

a claim met with doubt

: uncertainty of belief or opinion that often interferes with decision-making

: a deliberate suspension of judgment

: a state of affairs giving rise to uncertainty, hesitation, or suspense

The outcome is still in doubt.

Phrases

no doubt

: doubtless entry 1

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

Example Sentences

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. See More

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Even before the pandemic, economists doubted whether China could continue relying on infrastructure and construction spending, fueled by debt, to prop up the economy during hard times. —

Christian Shepherd, Washington Post, 2 June 2023 Not only did some of the Beatrice Six still doubt their own innocence, but the murder victim’s family were all convinced that the Beatrice Six were guilty — and it was widely believed by people in town that the Six should not have been exonerated. —

Nanfu Wang, The Hollywood Reporter, 2 June 2023 But fusion has its share of skeptics who doubt whether the technology will ever be harnessed to the point where a commercial power plant can be cost-effective. —

Rob Nikolewski, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 June 2023 According to her family, Valdivia gave to charitable organizations and instilled in them an ethos of compassion, respect and aid without doubting or questioning why. —

Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 31 May 2023 So here's to the future, a future where the underdogs become leaders, where the doubted become celebrated, and where BKFC stands at the forefront of it all. —

Jon Stojan, USA TODAY, 30 May 2023 In 2021, social media posts doubting the death toll of Chinese soldiers in a border clash with Indian troops landed a popular blogger eight months in jail. —

Nectar Gan, CNN, 26 May 2023 Yet some doubt the world’s second-largest oil producer will strike the right balance between current needs and future necessities. —

Taylor Luck, The Christian Science Monitor, 23 May 2023 At the top, Toast cofounders Steve Fredette, Aman Narang, and Jonathan Grimm succeeded despite VCs doubting them, a customer base skeptical of technology, and the ravages of COVID-19. —

Aaron Pressman, BostonGlobe.com, 16 May 2023

Noun

But in the past two decades, Jordan has unfurled nearly a dozen expansive economic plans, casting doubt that the latest will be any different. —

Sarah Dadouch, Washington Post, 2 June 2023 The first was Konrad Adenauer, in many ways the father of post-war West Germany, the second was Helmut Kohl, who, for all his faults, ensured that Germany was reunited in 1990, and the third, despite doubts among her own party, has gone to Angela Merkel. —

Andrew Stuttaford, National Review, 2 June 2023 Although doubts persist about Ukraine’s membership prospects, the two meetings demonstrated how Russia’s invasion more than 15 months ago has forged closer ties among Western nations, expanding and strengthening NATO — precisely what the Kremlin wanted to prevent. —

Michael Crowley, BostonGlobe.com, 1 June 2023 Only Spending Time at the Beach While there's no doubt that Florida's beaches are world-class, failing to venture beyond the coast and deeper into the state's vast array of offerings is one of the biggest mistakes visitors can make. —

Skye Sherman, Travel + Leisure, 28 May 2023 There’s never any doubt, in either film, that a kiss would be desired by both parties. —

Barry Levitt, Rolling Stone, 27 May 2023 But Alfredo Garcia, a law professor at St. Thomas University College of Law in Florida, said prosecutors would be hard-pressed to prove criminal charges against Laundrie’s mother beyond a reasonable doubt. —

Ray Sanchez, CNN, 27 May 2023 So a little bit of doubt started to creep into my mind. —

Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 25 May 2023 But other researchers have their doubts, noting that the paper acknowledges Microsoft’s methods may not meet the standards of scientific evaluation. —

David Meyer, Fortune, 16 May 2023 See More

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.