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Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective questionable contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of questionable are doubtful, dubious, and problematic. While all these words mean "not affording assurance of the worth, soundness, or certainty of something," questionable may imply no more than the existence of doubt but usually suggests that the suspicions are well-grounded.

a man of questionable honesty

Where would doubtful be a reasonable alternative to questionable?

The words doubtful and questionable can be used in similar contexts, but doubtful implies little more than a lack of conviction or certainty.

doubtful about whether I said the right thing

In what contexts can dubious take the place of questionable?

While the synonyms dubious and questionable are close in meaning, dubious stresses suspicion, mistrust, or hesitation.

dubious about the practicality of the scheme

When is it sensible to use problematic instead of questionable?

The synonyms problematic and questionable are sometimes interchangeable, but problematic applies especially to things whose existence, meaning, fulfillment, or realization is highly uncertain.

whether the project will ever be finished is problematic

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 questionable A word of warning, too, for Madueke — a lot of recent transfers between Chelsea and Arsenal have to be chalked up in the questionable column. Steve Madeley, New York Times, 11 July 2025 This could also be the year for Amy Adams to finally secure her long-overdue Oscar — but, whether that's for At the Sea (still questionable as to when this one will finally drop) or in Taika Waititi's Kazuo Ishiguro adaptation Klara and the Sun remains to be seen. EW.com, 7 July 2025 In December, Lopez blocked that joint bid, saying the auction process was unfair, lacked transparency and the joint bid was questionable. Karoline Leonard, Austin American Statesman, 5 July 2025 The 56-year-old DJ’s timing was questionable, and his statement comes off as defending the controversial mogul. Armon Sadler, VIBE.com, 3 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for questionable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for questionable
Adjective
  • In his regulation dark navy blazer, Prince George is in command, if slightly dubious about the goings on, at the oak desk of the rail.
    Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025
  • The end result is two teams — the White Sox last year, and the Rockies this year — that face an uncomfortable situation of fighting to avoid these dubious marks.
    Sam Blum, New York Times, 7 July 2025
Adjective
  • Defeat to the Netherlands would eliminate them (unless Wales were to beat France, leaving England praying for an unlikely 9-3-3-3 group and scraping through in second, which simply isn’t going to happen).
    Michael Cox, New York Times, 6 July 2025
  • Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point game is much mythologized in NBA lore, but his extremely unlikely performance at the foul line that night isn’t recognized often.
    Chris Reed, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 July 2025
Adjective
  • Trump’s remarks targeting wind and solar are certainly debatable, but the direction of energy and climate policy in his second presidency is well beyond any real doubt.
    David Blackmon, Forbes.com, 9 July 2025
  • But whether those are true All-Star-caliber numbers is certainly debatable — and the MLB selection did not take into account the issue of his health.
    Jon Vankin, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 July 2025
Adjective
  • After delivering several flops since its inception in 2019, such as Napoleon and Killers of the Flower Moon, the future of Apple's foray into movies remained doubtful.
    Saajan Jogia, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 July 2025
  • Ticketing companies show support for Donald Trump's executive order, others prove to be doubtful of 'meaningful change' Live Nation, parent company of Ticketmaster, issued a statement supporting Trump's executive order and calling for a cap on resale prices.
    Diana Leyva, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
Adjective
  • This is especially problematic because compensation in financial services is reliant on bonuses, commissions and decision-making power and these rewards don’t often trickle down.
    Sughnen Yongo, Forbes.com, 13 July 2025
  • For Gathegi, the shocking moment underscored age-old problematic tropes.
    Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 11 July 2025
Adjective
  • The timing coincides with Iran's controversial suspension of cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and reports of major internet disruptions across the country, suggesting ongoing tensions and potential preparations for future diplomatic or military developments.
    Adeola Adeosun, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 July 2025
  • Delegates avoided any controversial subjects that might trigger Washington’s ire, analysts said.
    semafor.com, semafor.com, 6 July 2025
Adjective
  • For instance, the Secret Service security room agent, who is responsible for collecting and disseminating information, learned about a suspicious person with a rangefinder from a counterpart in the Pennsylvania State Police roughly 25 minutes before the shooting.
    Joe Hernandez, NPR, 13 July 2025
  • Eventually when interest payments stopped, the scam investor victims in the Ponzi scheme became suspicious and following an investigation by the FBI both Burton and Wellesley were charged with wire fraud and money laundering.
    Steve Weisman, Forbes.com, 13 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Questionable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/questionable. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.

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