doubt

1 of 2

verb

ˈdau̇t 

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

: 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

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

: doubtless entry 1

Synonyms

Verb

• distrust
• misdoubt
• mistrust
• question
• suspect

Noun

• distrust
• distrustfulness
• dubiety
• dubitation [archaic]
• incertitude
• misdoubt
• misgiving
• mistrust
• mistrustfulness
• query
• reservation
• skepticism
• suspicion
• uncertainty

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

Yet analysts doubt that any single European country would be able to resist that type of pressure. —Morgan Meaker, WIRED, 22 Apr. 2024

Analysts doubt that either issue will resonate widely. —Mujib Mashal, New York Times, 19 Apr. 2024

The motion is going to get called, does anybody doubt that? —Alexandra Hutzler, ABC News, 16 Apr. 2024

Iran continues to insist that its program is 100% peaceful, although certain incidents, such as an unexplained discovery of uranium particles at sites Iran never disclosed to the United Nations nuclear watchdog agency, trouble critics who doubt Iran's motives. —Peter Kenyon, NPR, 12 Apr. 2024

But a panel of grown-ups at a recent conference in Washington laid out reasons for people of any age to doubt age-verification mandates. —Rob Pegoraro, PCMAG, 10 Apr. 2024

The Jamal Shead era ended with a sprained ankle in the Sweet 16, but there is zero reason to doubt coach Kelvin Sampson’s ability to quickly retool his roster. —Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 8 Apr. 2024

Ordering flowers from an online store There’s practically no reason to doubt the utility and convenience an online floral store offers. —Molly Peck, USA TODAY, 8 Apr. 2024

In approving funding for the World Cup, supporters overcame early skepticism from some lawmakers, who doubted how matches played at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City would benefit Kansas beyond the metro area. —Jonathan Shorman, Kansas City Star, 5 Apr. 2024

Noun

Simpson's legal team of prominent criminal defense lawyers, including Johnnie Cochran and Alan Dershowitz, F. Lee Bailey and Robert Kardashian, successfully made the case to the jury that there was reasonable doubt. —Emma Bowman, NPR, 11 Apr. 2024

Without a doubt, South Carolina’s 38-0 season plus Caitlin Clark’s mind-blowing talent made for great competition and eye-popping entertainment. —Kathryn Sheldon, Sacramento Bee, 10 Apr. 2024

There is little doubt that climate change will eventually bring doom to this country, most of which is just a meter or two above sea level. —Maahil Mohamed Elke Scholiers, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2024

There's no doubt about the effectiveness of Brave's tracker-blocking technologies, and getting around the web in Brave is quick and snappy. —David Nield, WIRED, 6 Apr. 2024

Ten years later, there was some doubt about whether the game deserved the Klassiker classification. —Manuel Veth, Forbes, 30 Mar. 2024

Several Republicans on the floor expressed doubts about the accounts, and two of them left the chamber before the vote. —Ian Max Stevenson, Idaho Statesman, 29 Mar. 2024

Can there be much doubt that one of the highest and greatest purposes of religion is to create a path to righteousness? —Byron Harlan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Mar. 2024

This is a large claim, but there can be little doubt about the brilliance showcased on the TED stage. —Christian Schneider, National Review, 28 Mar. 2024

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

Phrases Containing doubt

• a shadow of (a) doubt
• beyond a reasonable doubt
• beyond a shadow of a doubt
• beyond doubt
• call into doubt
• cast doubt on
• cast/throw doubt on
• in doubt
• no doubt
• no doubt about it
• no doubt in someone's mind
• self-doubt
• the benefit of the doubt
• without (a) doubt

Kids Definition

doubt

1 of 2 verb

ˈdau̇t 

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

-ə-bəl 

adjective

doubter noun

doubtingly

-iŋ-lē 

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