doubtful

I

(Roget's IV) modif.

1. [Ambiguous]

Syn. in doubt, questionable, problematic, vague, indistinct, unclear, indefinite, undetermined, unresolved, open to doubt, in question, equivocal, unsure, indeterminate, under examination, debatable, theoretical, up in the air*, iffy*, yes and no*, out of focus*; see also obscure 1 , questionable 1 , uncertain 2 .

2. [Uncertain in mind]

Syn. dubious, doubting, questioning, skeptical, undecided, unsure, wavering, hesitating, ambivalent, undetermined, uncertain, unsettled, confused, disturbed, lost, puzzled, disconcerted, perplexed, discomposed, flustered, flurried, baffled, hesitant, distracted, faltering, unresolved, in a quandary, of two minds, unable to make up one's mind, vacilLating, indecisive, irresolute, agnostic, like a doubting Thomas, troubled with doubt, of little faith, faithless, distrustful, incredulous, cynical, not knowing what's what, having no idea, in a dilemma, under a spell*, in the clouds*, up a tree*, in a haze*, not able to make head or tail of*, from Missouri*, going around in circles*, out of one's bearings*, up in the air*, wishy-washy*; see also suspicious 1 .

3. [Of questionable character]

Syn. dubious, sneaky, disreputable, shady*; see questionable 2 , suspicious 2 .

Syn.- doubtful implies strong uncertainty as to the probability, value, honesty, validity, etc. of something [ a doubtful remedy ] ; dubious is less strong, suggesting merely vague suspicion or hesitancy [dubious about the future ] ; questionable strictly suggests only that there is some reason for doubt, but it is often used as a euphemism to imply strong suspicion, almost amounting to certainty, of immorality, dishonesty, etc. [ a questionable reputation ] ; problematic implies only uncertainty with no suggestion of a moral question [ a problematic success ]

II

(Roget's 3 Superthesaurus) a.

1. questionable dubious, unclear, hazy, uncertain, unsure, debatable, inconclusive, ambiguous, clouded, undetermined, problematic.

2. unlikely improbable, farfetched.

3. disbelieving suspicious, distrustful, hesitant, unsure, uncertain, questioning, skeptical, wavering, irresolute.

ANT.: 1. certain, sure, clear. 2. likely, probable. 3. believing, convinced

III

(Roget's Thesaurus II) adjective 1. Not affording certainty: ambiguous, borderline, chancy, clouded, dubious, dubitable, equivocal, inconclusive, indecisive, indeterminate, problematic, problematical, questionable, uncertain, unclear, unsure. Informal: iffy. Idioms: at issue, in doubt, in question. See CERTAIN, CLEAR. 2. Not likely: improbable, questionable, unapt, unlikely. See LIKELY. 3. Experiencing doubt: dubious, skeptical, uncertain, undecided, unsure. Idiom: in doubt. See CERTAIN. 4. In doubt or dispute: arguable, contested, debatable, disputable, exceptionable, moot, mootable, problematic, problematical, questionable, uncertain. See CERTAIN. 5. Of dubious character: equivocal, questionable, shady, suspect, suspicious, uncertain. Informal: fishy. See HONEST.