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

Yet the Bengals are 4-9, hampered by one of the league’s worst defenses and significant injuries to core players, including Tee Higgins (concussion, questionable) and Trey Hendrickson (hip/pelvis, placed on IR). —Rowan Fisher-Shotton, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2025

Though details of Emily and Susan’s relationship were known to their contemporaries, much of the information about the two women has been passed along through sometimes questionable testimony. —Via Chronicle Books, Literary Hub, 11 Dec. 2025

My annual ski pass for those who don’t ski might be questionable. —Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 11 Dec. 2025

Guard Andrus Peat, defensive tackle Derrick Harmon and safety Kyle Dugger were all listed as questionable with various injuries. —Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 10 Dec. 2025

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