Meanings
comparative more doubtful · superlative most doubtful · alternative doubtfull
- Experiencing or showing doubt, skeptical.
- Improbable or unlikely.
- Suspicious, or of dubious character.
Yet it is not the predominant views of the experts but the views of a minority, mostly of rather doubtful standing in their profession, which are taken up and spread by the intellectuals.
1949, F. A. Hayek, “The Intellectuals and Socialism”, in University of Chicago Law Review, volume 16, number 3, Chicago: University of Chicago, →DOI, page 419 - Unclear or unreliable.
The pupils of her great eyes were large in the doubtful lamplight, swallowing their green fires in deep pools of mystery and darkness.
1922, E[ric] R[ücker] Eddison, “395–396”, in The Worm Ouroboros: A Romance, London: Jonathan Cape […], →OCLC
plural doubtfuls · alternative doubtfull
- A doubtful person or thing.
They had their lists of Liberals and of the doubtfuls who still remained doubtful. As the election drew near, the force of the whole organization was turned upon these unrepentant doubtfuls.
1976, Kenneth Gibbons, Donald Cameron Rowat, Political Corruption in Canada: Cases, Causes and Cures, page 45
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveopen to doubt or suspicion
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Middle Englishdoutfull
- Englishdoubtful
From Middle English doutfull, douteful, equivalent to doubt + -ful.
More words from Middle English
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian съмнителен, съмняващ се
- съмнителен (sămnitelen)subject to, or causing doubt
- съмняващ се (sămnjavašt se)experiencing or showing doubt
- несигурен (nesiguren)undecided or of uncertain outcome
- невероятен (neverojaten)improbable or unlikely
- подозрителен (podozritelen)suspicious, or of dubious character
Catalan dubtós, dubtós
- dubtóssubject to, or causing doubt
- dubtósexperiencing or showing doubt
Czech pochybný
- pochybnýsuspicious, or of dubious character
Danish tvivlende, usikker
- tvivlendeexperiencing or showing doubt
- usikkerexperiencing or showing doubt
- tvivlsomundecided or of uncertain outcome
- tvivlsomimprobable or unlikely
- tvivlsomsuspicious, or of dubious character
Finnish epäilyttävä, epävarma
- epäilyttäväsubject to, or causing doubt
- epävarmaexperiencing or showing doubt
- epäileväexperiencing or showing doubt
- epävarmaundecided or of uncertain outcome
- epätodennäköinenimprobable or unlikely
- epäilyttäväsuspicious, or of dubious character
- arveluttavasuspicious, or of dubious character
- kyseenalainensuspicious, or of dubious character
French douteux, douteuse
- douteuxsubject to, or causing doubt
- douteusesubject to, or causing doubt
German zweifelhaft, zweifelnd
- zweifelhaftsubject to, or causing doubt
- zweifelndexperiencing or showing doubt
- zweifelhaftundecided or of uncertain outcome
- zweifelhaftimprobable or unlikely
- zweifelhaftsuspicious, or of dubious character
Greek αμφίβολος
- αμφίβολος (amfívolos)subject to, or causing doubt
Hindi संदेहास्पद, संदेहास्पद
- संदेहास्पद (sandehāspad)subject to, or causing doubt
- संदेहास्पद (sandehāspad)experiencing or showing doubt
Hungarian kétséges, kétséges
- kétségessubject to, or causing doubt
- kétségesundecided or of uncertain outcome
- kétessuspicious, or of dubious character
Irish dabhtúil, amhrasach
- dabhtúilsubject to, or causing doubt
- amhrasachexperiencing or showing doubt
Italian dubbio, discutibile
- dubbiosubject to, or causing doubt
- discutibileexperiencing or showing doubt
- incertoundecided or of uncertain outcome
- improbabileimprobable or unlikely
- sospettosuspicious, or of dubious character
Latin dubius, dubitabundus
- dubiussubject to, or causing doubt
- dubitabundusexperiencing or showing doubt
Māori kārangirangi, pōkaku
- kārangirangisubject to, or causing doubt
- pōkakusubject to, or causing doubt
- hokiruasubject to, or causing doubt
- hokiruaundecided or of uncertain outcome
- taupetupetuundecided or of uncertain outcome
Norwegian Bokmål tvilende
- tvilendeexperiencing or showing doubt
Portuguese duvidoso, dúbio
- duvidososubject to, or causing doubt
- dúbiosubject to, or causing doubt
- incertoexperiencing or showing doubt
- incertoundecided or of uncertain outcome
- duvidosoimprobable or unlikely
Romanian dubios, îndoielnic
- dubiossubject to, or causing doubt
- îndoielnicsubject to, or causing doubt
Russian сомни́тельный, сомнева́ющийся
- сомни́тельный (somnítelʹnyj)subject to, or causing doubt
- сомнева́ющийся (somnevájuščijsja)experiencing or showing doubt
- сомни́тельный (somnítelʹnyj)undecided or of uncertain outcome
- сомни́тельный (somnítelʹnyj)improbable or unlikely
Scottish Gaelic mì-chinnteach, mì-chinnteach
- mì-chinnteachsubject to, or causing doubt
- mì-chinnteachexperiencing or showing doubt
- mì-chinnteachundecided or of uncertain outcome
Spanish dudoso, dudoso
- dudososubject to, or causing doubt
- dudosoimprobable or unlikely
Cite this entry
doubtful. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/doubtful
“doubtful.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/doubtful. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “doubtful,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/doubtful.
Source: doubtful on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.