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
  • Two of Elissa’s tumors were obliterated that day, but the third was too difficult to reach without repositioning Elissa’s body in a way that would have taken too much time under anesthesia.
    Kristen Jordan Shamus, USA Today, 19 May 2025
  • Luca Solca sector head for global luxury goods at Bernstein Clouding the picture further, many other premium Swiss watchmakers including Rolex, Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet, are privately owned, making their performance difficult to decipher.
    Karen Gilchrist, CNBC, 18 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
  • The reviews and social conversation were becoming apparent that this had inserted itself into the culture in a really sticky way.
    Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 22 May 2025
  • On my skin, the product feels a bit greasy and sticky, but again, much less so than DEET.
    Kristin Canning, Wired News, 21 May 2025
Adjective
  • Whether or not Jones would have wanted his character to feature in Fortnite is debatable, but strangely enough, Disney’s Star Wars has inspired similar debates in the past.
    Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 20 May 2025
  • Whether that was the best ploy is debatable, particularly as results on the field have waned.
    Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 14 May 2025
Adjective
  • The result is a mosaic of broods that makes the jigsaw puzzle of periodical cicada distribution more complicated, but more interesting.
    Chris Simon, The Conversation, 22 May 2025
  • My work centers Native characters who are fully human: messy, funny, complicated.
    Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 22 May 2025
Adjective
  • 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
  • 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

“Problematic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/problematic. Accessed 27 May. 2025.

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