doubt

doubt (do̵ut)

intransitive verb

Etymology: ME douten < OFr douter < L dubitare, to waver in opinion < dubius, dubious; -b- reintroduced, after L, in 16th c.

transitive verb

noun

1. a wavering of opinion or belief; lack of conviction; uncertainty
2. lack of trust or confidence
a condition of uncertainty the outcome was in doubt
an unsettled point or matter; difficulty
Obsolete apprehension or fear

doubt′·able adjective doubt′er noun doubt′·ingly adverb

beyond doubt

or without doubt

certainly

no doubt

To be uncertain
wonder, question, query, ponder, vacillate, waver, hesitate, be dubious, be undecided, be uncertain, be curious, be puzzled, be doubtful, be in a quandary, demur, hold in doubt, have doubts about, have one's doubts, raise a question, stop to consider, have qualms, have reservations, scruple, call in question, hesitate to accept, hold questionable, greet with skepticism, skepticize, cast doubt upon, have no conception, not know which way to turn, not know what to make of, be of two minds; see also ask 1, question 1.
Antonyms believe, trust*, confide. *
To entertain doubt
suspect, mistrust, distrust, lack confidence in, discredit, give no credence to, not believe, refuse to believe, disbelieve, impugn, dispute, be apprehensive of, be skeptical of, scoff, insinuate, misgive, read somewhat differently, challenge, harbor suspicions, not admit, doubt one's word, smell a rat*, not buy*, take a dim view of*, set no store by*, put no stock in*, take no stock in*; see also deny.
Antonyms support*, prove*, demonstrate.

Preposition: about

suitability: The papers before the City Council would have made any licensing authority have serious doubts about the suitability of the applicants for registration.
wisdom: However, Taylor, like most middle-class reformers, had doubts about the wisdom of universal suffrage.

Object

sincerity: But even in that short time, itâs hard to doubt the staffâs sincerity for the welfare of the dolphins.
existence: He did not say he doubted the existence of God.
anyone: I doubt that anyone can imagine the pain or duration of such a death.

Converse of object

cast: Their findings cast grave doubts on the possibility of Martian life.
express: Even some of the Prime Minister's oldest allies are now expressing doubts.
linger: At all times there was a lingering doubt about Lamb's commitment.
throw: And this has thrown doubt on the accuracy of many data analysis techniques commonly used in business computing.
have: You 've no doubt heard stories about creative people getting ripped off?
raise: The Tribunal attaches no weight whatsoever to her affidavit, the truth of which raises doubts in its minds.

Converse of subject

plague: Stock and foreign exchange markets have been plagued by doubts about the health of certain banks and corporations.

Adjective modifier

reasonable: The prosecution must prove each accused's intention beyond reasonable doubt.
niggling: But there was, and always is, a niggling doubt in my mind whenever I get distracted.
little: There is also little doubt about Imperial's share of the black market.
slight: Now, have you the slightest doubt that Jarrett told you it had been agreed to hand over the child for £ 5?
grave: Their findings cast grave doubts on the possibility of Martian life.
serious: There are serious doubts about such a minister operating within the Department of Health, whose main business is the NHS.

Modifying Another Word

no: There is no doubting the impact the anti-war movement has had on the trade union movement.

Noun used with modifier

self: Her guidance led me to make positive, practical commitments to bite-sized tasks, which miraculously dissolved the self doubt.

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