variants also problematical

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective problematic contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of problematic are doubtful, dubious, and questionable. While all these words mean "not affording assurance of the worth, soundness, or certainty of something," problematic applies especially to things whose existence, meaning, fulfillment, or realization is highly uncertain.

whether the project will ever be finished is problematic

When might doubtful be a better fit than problematic?

The words doubtful and problematic are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, doubtful implies little more than a lack of conviction or certainty.

doubtful about whether I said the right thing

When can dubious be used instead of problematic?

The synonyms dubious and problematic are sometimes interchangeable, but dubious stresses suspicion, mistrust, or hesitation.

dubious about the practicality of the scheme

When is it sensible to use questionable instead of problematic?

While the synonyms questionable and problematic are close in meaning, 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 problematic Meta’s chatbots as a psychological panacea is problematic for some researchers, who note the company’s dubious history with data privacy dating back to the Cambridge Analytica scandal and user-tracking across various sites. Michael Barclay, Quartz, 7 May 2025 The alternative scenario could be equally problematic for Indian producers. Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 6 May 2025 Making people aware that heavy social drinking is just as problematic as isolated alcohol consumption is one step toward addressing its consequences. Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 6 May 2025 Many fans walk away from the stadium for 20 minutes before calling a taxi to get away from the traffic, but that solution is problematic for those with mobility issues. Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 2 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for problematic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for problematic
Adjective
  • Rust, a difficult movie to release, grossed $25k at 115 theaters, presented by Falling Forward Films.
    Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 4 May 2025
  • Surace 39-37 Round 3 - These are difficult to score.
    Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 3 May 2025
Adjective
  • 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
  • The Trump Administration has unleashed a torrent of unconstitutional executive orders and other questionable legal actions; with many of them, its goal seems less to win in the end than to inflict as much damage as possible along the way.
    Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 17 May 2025
Adjective
  • Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell and other members of the U.S. central bank are meeting Tuesday and Wednesday, trying to chart a path where the U.S. can avoid both a recession and sticky inflation.
    Jesse Pound, CNBC, 6 May 2025
  • Relevance is a particularly sticky word, one that lacks nuance.
    Eric Crosby, Artforum, 1 May 2025
Adjective
  • Whether tariffs are good policy or not is debatable.
    Vicki Abeles, Mercury News, 7 May 2025
  • What is not debatable is that the US-Ukraine minerals deal, while hollow in immediate extractive gain for the US and in many respects a Trump defeat, heralds a new age.
    Wesley Alexander Hill, Forbes.com, 7 May 2025
Adjective
  • The plan gets more complicated than that and addresses other issues, but the main point is that the Republican proposal is a dramatic improvement over the current system.
    Matt Fleming, Oc Register, 10 May 2025
  • Clearly the Red Sox misread things here, but with Devers the situation is a little more complicated.
    Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 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
  • While trying to solve the mystery of the stalker, Reese becomes suspicious of Eros' friend and roommate, Peyton (Mirela Balić).
    Christopher Rudolph, People.com, 13 May 2025
Adjective
  • The Celtics ruled the 34-year-old out the day before each of their last two games rather than listing him as questionable or doubtful.
    Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 28 Apr. 2025
  • As for Tatum, he is listed as doubtful ahead of Game 3.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Problematic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/problematic. Accessed 20 May. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on problematic

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