doubtful

adjective doubt·ful \ ˈdau̇t-fəl \

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

See doubtful defined for English-language learners

See doubtful defined for kids

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

Staff say FMC has promised to keep them all employed, which was doubtful under DuPont.

— joseph n. distefano, Philly.com, "Counting down the final days of a stand-alone DuPont Co.," 23 Aug. 2017
But locals are doubtful that a comprehensive hurricane protection system will ever take shape.

— sara sneath, NOLA.com, "Levee-ing the odds: Southwest Louisianians build their own flood protection," 6 Aug. 2017
All Star A2, with Self saying Azubuike is doubtful to play.

— jesse newell, kansascity, "KU basketball takes 99-71 victory in Italy without center Udoka Azubuike," 5 Aug. 2017
Both were projected starters for the Owls under new coach Lane Kiffin, but are doubtful to figure into FAU’s plans this season.

— matthew defranks, Sun-Sentinel.com, "FAU counting on replacement receivers to fill void on offense," 31 July 2017
The commission is aimed at investigating President Trump’s doubtful claims that widespread voter fraud caused him to lose the popular vote in last November’s election.

— david z. morris, Fortune, "White House Releases Personal Data of Voters Who Complained About Voting Records Probe," 15 July 2017
Doubtful and more like a long-term project, although Maxi Kleber does hail from Dirk Nowitzki’s hometown of Wurzburg, Germany.

— roger pinckney, star-telegram, "Mavericks sign forward from Nowitzki’s hometown in Germany," 13 July 2017
Barring the government investing in such new sectors as renewable energy or high-speed rail — unlikely under Republican control — significantly raising manufacturing employment seems doubtful.

— jon talton, The Seattle Times, "Manufacturing’s latest threat: An auto slowdown," 5 July 2017
In L.A., Drake Bell also hosted a birthday party, complete with a cake covered in shirtless magazine shots of himself (whether Josh Peck received an invite is … doubtful).

— sarah nechamkin, The Cut, "Gal Gadot and Drake Bell Partied This Week," 30 June 2017

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

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First Known Use: 14th century

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doubtful Synonyms

Synonyms

distrustful, dubious, hinky [slang], mistrustful, skeptical, suspicious, trustless, uncertain, unconvinced, undecided, unsettled, unsure, on the fence

Antonyms

certain, convinced, positive, sure

Related Words

ambivalent, conflicted, equivocal; diffident, insecure; halting, hesitant, indecisive, irresolute, vacillating, wavering

Near Antonyms

assured, confident, sanguine, self-assured; decisive, determined, resolute

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.

- 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

DOUBTFUL Defined for English Language Learners

doubtful

adjective

Definition of doubtful for English Language Learners

: uncertain or unsure about something
: not likely to be true : not probable
: likely to be bad : not worthy of trust

DOUBTFUL Defined for Kids

doubtful

adjective doubt·ful \ ˈdau̇t-fəl \

Definition of doubtful for Students

1 :undecided or unsure about something

I'm doubtful we'll make it on time.

Minli was a little doubtful about riding the dragon.
—Grace Lin, Where the Mountain Meets the Moon

2 :not likely to be true

a doubtful claim

3 :not likely to be good

doubtful quality

4 :not certain in outcome

a doubtful future

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doubtfully

\-fə-lē\ adverb

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Examples of doubtful in a Sentence

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Origin and Etymology of doubtful

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Synonyms

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DOUBTFUL Defined for English Language Learners

doubtful

Definition of doubtful for English Language Learners

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doubtful

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