questionable

adjective

ques·​tion·​able ˈkwes-chə-nə-bəl 

ˈkwesh-

in rapid speech ˈkwesh-nə-

1

obsolete : inviting inquiry

2

obsolete : liable to judicial inquiry or action

3

: affording reason for being doubted, questioned, or challenged : not certain or exact : problematic

milk of questionable purity

a questionable decision

4

: attended by well-grounded suspicions of being immoral, crude, false, or unsound : dubious

questionable motives

questionableness noun

questionably

ˈkwes-chə-nə-blē 

ˈkwesh-

in rapid speech ˈkwesh-nə-

adverb

Synonyms of questionable

• dubious
• disputable
• problematic
• debatable
• suspicious
• doubtful
• suspect

Choose the Right Synonym for questionable

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 questionable in a Sentence

The truth of the statements was highly questionable.

The water available in the village is of questionable quality.

a man of questionable character

They acquired the money through questionable means.

The company is facing a questionable future.

Recent Examples on the Web

Sure, his brethren didn't do themselves any favours with their questionable behaviour, but Rotta could be the one to prove that no one is defined by their past. —Sergio Pereira, Space.com, 22 May 2026

Corn Dog managed to pick up a place at the start, but the action was at the sharp end of the field with a very questionable bit of defending from Chi Dog that sent the Seattle Dog off the track in an act of self-preservation. —Matt Reigle Outkick, FOXNews.com, 22 May 2026

An outside investigation released this week found that Cherry Creek Schools didn’t properly vet contracts and highlighted more questionable spending by an education firm that has come under scrutiny in recent months. —Jessica Seaman, Denver Post, 20 May 2026

This injury seemed less serious, with the Knicks listing Anunoby as questionable to play in both Games 3 and 4 before he was ruled out. —CBS News, 17 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for questionable

• unquestionable

Kids Definition

questionable

adjective

ques·​tion·​able ˈkwes-chə-nə-bəl 

ˈkwesh-

1

: open to doubt, question, or challenge : not certain or exact

milk of questionable purity

a questionable decision

2

: believed to be bad, false, or unsound : dubious

questionable motives

questionably

-blē 

adverb