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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 Saturday marked the fifth consecutive game the Rockies gave up eight or more runs, setting a dubious franchise record. Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 10 May 2025 An uptick in hair noise Like mine, Alicia’s algorithm is plastered with hair growth ads boasting dubious claims. Maria Yagoda, Vox, 9 May 2025 Mary’s fixation on commemorating James’ dubious talents. Judy Berman, Time, 2 May 2025 Together, these studies indicate that boys may be especially sensitive to the quality of early caregiving—an argument to both increase social support for families and resist dubious assumptions that boys do not require substantial affectionate nurturing. Joshua Coleman, The Atlantic, 30 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for dubious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dubious
Adjective
  • Gordon will officially be listed as questionable for Sunday afternoon’s contest at Paycom Center, team sources told The Athletic.
    Tony Jones, New York Times, 17 May 2025
  • Clark took a series of questionable fouls from Reese's Sky throughout the 2024 season, including one from Reese June 16.
    Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 17 May 2025
Adjective
  • Foreign governments are increasingly reluctant to crack down on U.S. tech firms—not just because of their digital leverage and economic clout but also because doing so could provoke official backlash from Washington.
    Ian Bremmer, Foreign Affairs, 13 May 2025
  • The Anglin family is convinced that, despite the FBI’s release of hundreds of pages of documents in the case, the agency is still reluctant to discuss the full story.
    CNN.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 12 May 2025
Adjective
  • In markets like the U.S. and the U.K., government bonds have historically been considered safe investments, as the governments were considered highly unlikely to default on their debts.
    Chloe Taylor,Holly Ellyatt,Sawdah Bhaimiya, CNBC, 19 May 2025
  • Prison officials in Costa Rica caught an unlikely suspect attempting to smuggle drugs behind bars last week.
    Sean Neumann, People.com, 19 May 2025
Adjective
  • When Adam Neumann launched Flow, his residential real-estate venture, a little over three years ago, a lot of people were skeptical.
    Kim Velsey, Curbed, 16 May 2025
  • Klein is skeptical that the Trump Administration will usher in a new era of building things.
    Emma Green, New Yorker, 16 May 2025
Adjective
  • That prospect has left a number of moderate and vulnerable Republicans hesitant to cut a program that covers their constituents and risk facing political backlash in next year’s elections.
    Nik Popli, Time, 20 May 2025
  • While some organizations are understandably hesitant to abandon on-premises infrastructure entirely due to concerns over security, regulatory compliance, and data control, the reality is that maintaining an AI-ready on-premises data center often proves cost-prohibitive and operationally unfeasible.
    Ivo Ivanov, Forbes.com, 20 May 2025
Adjective
  • According to Priestley, many young people reach adulthood unsure about how money functions, how relationships grow and how systems interact.
    Dan Fitzpatrick, Forbes.com, 12 May 2025
  • Officials are unsure of where exactly Cosmos 482 will land.
    Greta Cross, USA Today, 10 May 2025
Adjective
  • Joshua later discovered that the police received a tip about a suspicious vehicle earlier that day.
    Audrey Conklin, FOXNews.com, 13 May 2025
  • Aurora police received reports at about 3 p.m. Monday of a suspicious person trespassing at The Parking Spot in the 19900 block of East 56th Avenue, trying to break into vehicles and refusing to leave, according to a news release from the police department.
    Katie Langford, Denver Post, 13 May 2025
Adjective
  • Hours before tip-off, word spread that Gordon was doubtful to play and that this injury would take weeks to recover from.
    Ricardo Klein, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 May 2025
  • Nonetheless, the stock has declined nearly 40% from its peak in 2024, as investors remain doubtful regarding these plans.
    Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 13 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Dubious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dubious. Accessed 24 May. 2025.

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