- in doubt; not clear or definite; ambiguous
- not clearly predictable; uncertain; unsure
- giving rise to doubt or suspicion; questionable, as in reputation
- feeling doubt; unsettled in opinion or belief
Origin of doubtful
Middle English douteful
adjective
The definition of doubtful is suspicious, unclear or unsure.
An example of something doubtful is a situation reported by a person who constantly lies.
YourDictionary definition and usage example. Copyright © 2018 by LoveToKnow Corp
Link to this page
Cite this page
MLA Style
"doubtful." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 19 June 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Doubtful>.
APA Style
doubtful. (n.d.). Retrieved June 19th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Doubtful
doubtful
Webster's New World College Dictionary, Fifth Edition Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Link to this page
Cite this page
MLA Style
"doubtful." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 19 June 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Doubtful>.
APA Style
doubtful. (n.d.). Retrieved June 19th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Doubtful
doubtful
adjective
- Subject to or causing doubt: a doubtful claim; doubtful prospects.
- Experiencing or showing doubt: Doubtful that the cord would hold, we strengthened it.
- Of uncertain outcome; undecided.
- Raising doubts as to legitimacy, honesty, or respectability; suspicious: the candidate's doubtful past. See Usage Note at doubt.
Related Forms:
- doubt′ful·ly
adverb
- doubt′ful·ness
noun
THE AMERICAN HERITAGE® DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FIFTH EDITION by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Copyright © 2016, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Link to this page
Cite this page
MLA Style
"doubtful." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 19 June 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Doubtful>.
APA Style
doubtful. (n.d.). Retrieved June 19th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Doubtful
Adjective
(comparative more doubtful, superlative most doubtful)
- Subject to, or causing doubt
- Experiencing or showing doubt, sceptical
- Undecided or of uncertain outcome
- Improbable or unlikely
- Suspicious, or of dubious character
- Unclear or unreliable
Origin
From doubt + -ful.
English Wiktionary. Available under CC-BY-SA license.
Link to this page
Cite this page
MLA Style
"doubtful." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 19 June 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Doubtful>.
APA Style
doubtful. (n.d.). Retrieved June 19th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Doubtful
Sentence Examples
- His tone was doubtful and he let the subject drop.
- Felipa looked doubtful, but she didn't contest him.
- The cities which they founded - Cornus, Tharros, Sulci, Nora, Caralesare all on the coast of the island, and it is doubtful to what extent they penetrated into the interior.
- Both these allied forms occur throughout central and southern Europe, but, though now abundant in England, it is doubtful whether they are there indigenous.
- Brady watched her, doubtful the sort of mayhem that occurred on the compound was as dangerous as that they'd encountered on their trip up the mountain.
» more...