Synonyms of doubt

doubt 1 of 2

noun

as in skepticism

a feeling or attitude that one does not know the truth, truthfulness, or trustworthiness of someone or something

from the beginning I had my doubts about the investment scheme

Synonyms & Similar Words

• skepticism
• suspicion
• uncertainty
• concern
• distrust
• disbelief
• mistrust
• misdoubt
• reservation
• misgiving
• dubiety
• query
• incertitude
• dubitation
• distrustfulness
• mistrustfulness
• paranoia
• incredulity
• anxiety
• unbelief
• qualm
• wariness
• compunction
• scruple
• tremor
• niggle

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• trust
• belief
• confidence
• certainty
• conviction
• assurance
• surety
• faith
• certitude
• sureness
• credence

doubt

2 of 2

verb

ˈdau̇t 

as in to question

to have no trust or confidence in

I doubt that you can do all that you say

Synonyms & Similar Words

• question
• suspect
• distrust
• mistrust
• misdoubt
• disbelieve
• discredit
• discount
• negate

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• trust
• depend (on or upon)
• rely (on or upon)
• count (on or upon)
• bank (on or upon)

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun doubt differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of doubt are dubiety, mistrust, skepticism, suspicion, and uncertainty. While all these words mean "lack of sureness about someone or something," doubt suggests both uncertainty and inability to make a decision.

plagued by doubts as to what to do

When might dubiety be a better fit than doubt?

The synonyms dubiety and doubt are sometimes interchangeable, but dubiety stresses a wavering between conclusions.

felt some dubiety about its practicality

When could mistrust be used to replace doubt?

The meanings of mistrust and doubt largely overlap; however, mistrust implies a genuine doubt based upon suspicion.

had a great mistrust of doctors

When would skepticism be a good substitute for doubt?

The words skepticism and doubt can be used in similar contexts, but skepticism implies unwillingness to believe without conclusive evidence.

an economic forecast greeted with skepticism

When is suspicion a more appropriate choice than doubt?

Although the words suspicion and doubt have much in common, suspicion stresses lack of faith in the truth, reality, fairness, or reliability of something or someone.

regarded the stranger with suspicion

When is it sensible to use uncertainty instead of doubt?

In some situations, the words uncertainty and doubt are roughly equivalent. However, 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

How does the noun doubt differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of doubt are dubiety, mistrust, skepticism, suspicion, and uncertainty. While all these words mean "lack of sureness about someone or something," doubt suggests both uncertainty and inability to make a decision.

plagued by doubts as to what to do

When might dubiety be a better fit than doubt?

The synonyms dubiety and doubt are sometimes interchangeable, but dubiety stresses a wavering between conclusions.

felt some dubiety about its practicality

When could mistrust be used to replace doubt?

The meanings of mistrust and doubt largely overlap; however, mistrust implies a genuine doubt based upon suspicion.

had a great mistrust of doctors

When would skepticism be a good substitute for doubt?

The words skepticism and doubt can be used in similar contexts, but skepticism implies unwillingness to believe without conclusive evidence.

an economic forecast greeted with skepticism

When is suspicion a more appropriate choice than doubt?

Although the words suspicion and doubt have much in common, suspicion stresses lack of faith in the truth, reality, fairness, or reliability of something or someone.

regarded the stranger with suspicion

When is it sensible to use uncertainty instead of doubt?

In some situations, the words uncertainty and doubt are roughly equivalent. However, 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

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of doubt

Noun

But while the civil court found the war crimes allegations were mostly proven on a balance of probabilities, the war crime murder charges would have to be proved in a criminal court to a higher standard of beyond reasonable doubt. —ABC News, 8 Apr. 2026

There’s no doubt Johansson is one of the Wild’s most respected teammates. —Michael Russo, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2026

Verb

No one doubts the inflationary drag of oil. —Jim Cramer, CNBC, 5 Apr. 2026

Although some research suggests that the more money a school spends on teaching, the better its students tend to do in the workforce, there’s reason to doubt that having the most expensive faculty translates so directly into the most career-ready student body. —Rose Horowitch, The Atlantic, 4 Apr. 2026