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Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective dubious contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of dubious are doubtful, problematic, and questionable. While all these words mean "not affording assurance of the worth, soundness, or certainty of something," dubious stresses suspicion, mistrust, or hesitation.

dubious about the practicality of the scheme

When would doubtful be a good substitute for dubious?

The meanings of doubtful and dubious largely overlap; however, doubtful implies little more than a lack of conviction or certainty.

doubtful about whether I said the right thing

Where would problematic be a reasonable alternative to dubious?

While in some cases nearly identical to dubious, problematic applies especially to things whose existence, meaning, fulfillment, or realization is highly uncertain.

whether the project will ever be finished is problematic

When could questionable be used to replace dubious?

The words questionable and dubious can be used in similar contexts, but questionable may imply no more than the existence of doubt but usually suggests that the suspicions are well-grounded.

a man of questionable honesty

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of dubious The casino also awarded Bowyer with some ethically dubious perks. David Amsden, Rolling Stone, 29 Aug. 2025 Down one set after the first day, Williams roars back to take the next two, though his burst of energy is dubious. Joe Reid, Vulture, 29 Aug. 2025 Selective justice is a problem, and there are suspicions that corruption allegations—whether by law enforcement bodies or a proliferation of dubious media outlets, Telegram channels, and bot farms—are being used against political opponents at the local and national level. Nataliya Gumenyuk, Foreign Affairs, 29 Aug. 2025 Milwaukee just hit a dubious milestone with its 100th homicide of 2025. Jr Radcliffe, jsonline.com, 29 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for dubious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dubious
Adjective
  • Still, the faith was questionable.
    DIAMOND VENCES, Charlotte Observer, 10 Sep. 2025
  • Though Andre officially ended things with his other flame, Ashley (Jen Jacob), Dani's daughter's abduction has forced her to spend some questionable quality time with her ex-husband Bill (Timon Kyle Durrett), who, it should be noted, shares a last name with Devon Winters' birth mother Yolanda.
    Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • In saying that, Chelsea will be reluctant to block the pathways of Mamadou Sarr (on loan at Strasbourg) and Aaron Anselmino (on loan at Borussia Dortmund).
    James McNicholas, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025
  • After the race, Mekies was reluctant to take credit for the result and made sure to credit the staff who worked on last year's race at Monza, from which the team made several adjustments.
    Nelson Espinal, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • The comedic murder-mystery series following three unlikely neighbors — Charles (Steve Martin), Oliver (Martin Short) and Mabel (Selena Gomez) — who bond over their obsession with true crime podcasts.
    Samantha Stutsman, PEOPLE, 9 Sep. 2025
  • The upshot is that France’s fiscal mess is unlikely to be fixed anytime soon.
    Saskya Vandoorne, CNN Money, 8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Gustafson is skeptical, but certain.
    Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 8 Sep. 2025
  • The elaborateness of these explanations, in Frank’s view, is a reason to be skeptical of them.
    Matthew Hutson, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • That time, a very disputable foul denied him.
    Matt Woosnam, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Yet even in the face of these losses, many retailers remain hesitant to modernize their approach to returns, fearing that stricter policies could hurt customer satisfaction.
    Footwear News, Footwear News, 4 Sep. 2025
  • Institutions remain hesitant, citing compliance uncertainty, poor execution quality, and limited integration with existing financial infrastructure.
    Sean Lee, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • She was frustrated by Highmark’s denials and unsure if her last resort, the external appeal, would yield results.
    Duaa Eldeib, ProPublica, 10 Sep. 2025
  • Daniel Palencia left Sunday’s 6-3 loss to the Nationals after giving up 5 runs with a right posterior shoulder injury, and Counsell was still unsure the next day whether Palencia could return before the end of the regular season.
    Jared Wyllys, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Now in season 5, the mystery continues with the suspicious death of Lester (Teddy Coluca), the Arconia’s doorman.
    Samantha Stutsman, PEOPLE, 9 Sep. 2025
  • More Evan Bernstein/Getty Images Point guard Terry Rozier, who has only a partial guarantee on his contract for 2025-26, remains under federal investigation for suspicious gambling activity, per ESPN's David Purdum.
    Alex Kirschenbaum, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Dubious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dubious. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.

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