- 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
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"doubtful." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 18 December 2018. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/doubtful>.
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doubtful. (n.d.). Retrieved December 18th, 2018, 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.
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MLA Style
"doubtful." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 18 December 2018. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/doubtful>.
APA Style
doubtful. (n.d.). Retrieved December 18th, 2018, 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.
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Cite this page
MLA Style
"doubtful." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 18 December 2018. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/doubtful>.
APA Style
doubtful. (n.d.). Retrieved December 18th, 2018, 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. 18 December 2018. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/doubtful>.
APA Style
doubtful. (n.d.). Retrieved December 18th, 2018, 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.
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Words near doubtful in the dictionary
- doubtful
- doubtfull
- doubtfuller
- doubtfully