doubtful

adjective doubt·ful \ ˈdau̇t-fəl \

|Updated on: 2 Aug 2018

Tip: Synonym Guide

Examples: doubtful in a Sentence

Definition of doubtful

1 : giving rise to doubt or uncertainty : open to question

It is doubtful that they ever knew what happened.

a doubtful premise

2 a : lacking a definite opinion, conviction, or determination

They were doubtful about the advantages of the new system.

b : uncertain in outcome : undecided

The outcome of the election remains doubtful.

3 : marked by qualities that raise doubts about worth, honesty, or validity

of doubtful repute

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doubtfully

play \-fə-lē\ adverb

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doubtfulness

noun

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Examples of doubtful in a Sentence

I tried to reassure them, but they remained doubtful.
The truth of the statements was doubtful.
Their decisions were based on data of doubtful accuracy.

Recent Examples of doubtful from the Web

But Paul Dodson, president of Oak Ridge Condominiums Association, was more doubtful.

— gregory b. hladky, Courant Community, "A Long Island Developer Wants To Build A $200 Million Sports Complex In Windsor Locks," 9 July 2018
Whether the same unanimity exists over North Korea is extremely doubtful.

— The Economist, "How Iraq was deprived of its weapons of mass destruction," 5 July 2018
With the European Central Bank still running ultraloose monetary policy, many economists are doubtful about the eurozone’s capacity to react to fresh economic trouble.

— richard barley, WSJ, "Tariff Troubles for Germany Won’t Stay in Germany," 3 July 2018
And while some, including Hussain, remain doubtful that the DEA will put such a change into motion for marijuana as well, the mere fact of FDA approval may do wonders to remove the stigma from such research.

— mackenzie wagoner, Vogue, "Why the FDA's Approval of a Cannabis-Derived Drug Could Change the Future of Medical Marijuana," 26 June 2018
Second, although Trump and people around him had been sounding doubtful about the summit timing for several days, North Korea also seemed to get no warning.

— heather hurlburt, Daily Intelligencer, "What Happens When You Treat Nuclear Diplomacy Like a Reality TV Show," 24 May 2018
Only in France were people more doubtful about free markets bringing out the best in people.

— erik kirschbaum, latimes.com, "Karl Marx is turning 200, and that's creating a stir in Germany, which was literally divided over his ideas," 3 May 2018
As Rees-Mogg pointed out, the EU is also doubtful about whether a customs partnership, in which the U.K. would collect the EU’s tariffs and refund exempt business later, could work.

— Bloomberg.com, "Rees-Mogg Delivers Ultimatum Over May's Post-Brexit Customs Plan," 2 May 2018
This leaves the world in kind of a vulnerable state.’’ Other analysts were more doubtful about immediate effects.

— ken thomas and jon gambrell, BostonGlobe.com, "Trump claims Saudi Arabia will boost oil production," 30 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'doubtful.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of doubtful

see ¹doubt

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

doubtful Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of doubtful

doubtful, dubious, problematic, questionable mean not affording assurance of the worth, soundness, or certainty of something. doubtful implies little more than a lack of conviction or certainty.