doubtful

adjective

doubt·​ful ˈdau̇t-fəl How to pronounce doubtful (audio)
1
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.
2
: marked by qualities that raise doubts about worth, honesty, or validity
of doubtful repute
3
: giving rise to doubt or uncertainty : open to question
It is doubtful that they ever knew what happened.
a doubtful premise
doubtfully adverb
doubtfulness noun
Choose the Right Synonym for 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.

doubtful about whether I said the right thing

dubious stresses suspicion, mistrust, or hesitation.

dubious about the practicality of the scheme

problematic applies especially to things whose existence, meaning, fulfillment, or realization is highly uncertain.

whether the project will ever be finished is problematic

questionable may imply no more than the existence of doubt but usually suggests that the suspicions are well-grounded.

a man of questionable honesty

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 on the Web
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.
After delivering several flops since its inception in 2019, such as Napoleon and Killers of the Flower Moon, the future of Apple's foray into movies remained doubtful. Saajan Jogia, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 July 2025 Ticketing companies show support for Donald Trump's executive order, others prove to be doubtful of 'meaningful change' Live Nation, parent company of Ticketmaster, issued a statement supporting Trump's executive order and calling for a cap on resale prices. Diana Leyva, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025 The bill is doubtful to get support from any Senate Democrat, but under special Senate rules, only 51 Republicans are needed to sign-off and avoid a filibuster. Savannah Kuchar, USA Today, 28 June 2025 Whether Afshar could have solved this is highly doubtful, since the problem rests heavily with Musk’s own decisions. Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 27 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for doubtful

Word History

Etymology

see doubt entry 1

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Time Traveler
The first known use of doubtful was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Doubtful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/doubtful. Accessed 10 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

doubtful

adjective
doubt·​ful ˈdau̇t-fəl How to pronounce doubtful (audio)
1
: not clear or certain as to fact
a doubtful claim
2
: questionable sense 2
doubtful intentions
3
: undecided in opinion
4
: not certain in outcome
doubtfully adverb
doubtfulness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on doubtful

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!