Meanings
comparative more questionable · superlative most questionable · alternative archaic quæstionable
- Problematic; open to doubt or challenge.
It is questionable if the universe is open or closed.
2 more examples
A crude, cold rain was falling heavily; the spring-time presented itself as a questionable improvement.
1881, Henry James, Jr., chapter 3, in The Portrait of a Lady, New York, N.Y.: Houghton, Mifflin and Company […], →OCLC, page 28MAHA went viral across social media and led to an explosion of questionable claims regarding health and wellness.
2024 August 26, Mikael Thalen, “MAGA turns to roadkill-eating anti-vaxer with a brain worm to ‘Make America Healthy Again’”, in The Daily Dot - Of dubious respectability or morality.
[…] he had a love of money—a sort of acquisitiveness, that led him into questionable dealings.
1920, Carolyn Wells, chapter 18, in Raspberry Jam, Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott, page 3021 more example
Obviously modeled after Ren & Stimpy, it's about a wallaby and his flatulent dog. While some of the humor is pretty funny, some of it is questionable.
1995, Randy Pitman (publisher), “Some Extra Children's Videos”, in The Video Librarian, volumes 10-11, page 3 - obsoleteInviting questions; inviting inquiry.
Thou com'ſt in ſuch a queſtionable ſhape / That I will ſpeake to thee.
c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iv], page 257, column 1
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectivesubject to question
adjectiveable to be refuted
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Translations
Bulgarian съмнителен, спорен
- съмнителен (sămnitelen)problematic; open to doubt or challenge
- спорен (sporen)problematic; open to doubt or challenge
- съмнителен (sămnitelen)of dubious respectability or morality
Catalan qüestionable, criticable
- qüestionableproblematic; open to doubt or challenge
- criticableof dubious respectability or morality
- sospitósof dubious respectability or morality
Chinese Mandarin 可疑的, 可疑的
- 可疑的 (kěyí de)problematic; open to doubt or challenge
- 可疑的 (kěyí de)of dubious respectability or morality
Czech diskutabilní
- diskutabilníproblematic; open to doubt or challenge
Danish tvivlsom
- tvivlsomproblematic; open to doubt or challenge
Dutch twijfelachtig, twijfelachtig
- twijfelachtigproblematic; open to doubt or challenge
- twijfelachtigof dubious respectability or morality
- verdachtof dubious respectability or morality
Finnish kyseenalainen, kyseenalainen
- kyseenalainenproblematic; open to doubt or challenge
- kyseenalainenof dubious respectability or morality
French discutable, douteux
- discutableproblematic; open to doubt or challenge
- douteuxof dubious respectability or morality
German fragwürdig, fragwürdig
- fragwürdigproblematic; open to doubt or challenge
- fragwürdigof dubious respectability or morality
- zwiespältigof dubious respectability or morality
- gewagtof dubious respectability or morality
- verwegenof dubious respectability or morality
Greek αμφισβητήσιμος
- αμφισβητήσιμος (amfisvitísimos)problematic; open to doubt or challenge
Hungarian kétséges, megkérdőjelezhető
- kétségesproblematic; open to doubt or challenge
- megkérdőjelezhetőof dubious respectability or morality
Italian problematico, questionabile
- problematicoproblematic; open to doubt or challenge
- questionabileproblematic; open to doubt or challenge
- controversoproblematic; open to doubt or challenge
- discutibileproblematic; open to doubt or challenge
- opinabileproblematic; open to doubt or challenge
- dubbioof dubious respectability or morality
Japanese 疑わしい, 疑わしい
- 疑わしい (utagawashii)problematic; open to doubt or challenge
- 疑わしい (utagawashii)of dubious respectability or morality
Persian سؤالبرانگیز
- سؤالبرانگیز (so'âl-bar-angiz)problematic; open to doubt or challenge
Polish wątpliwy, sporny
- wątpliwyproblematic; open to doubt or challenge
- spornyproblematic; open to doubt or challenge
- kontrowersyjnyproblematic; open to doubt or challenge
- kontrowersyjnyof dubious respectability or morality
Portuguese questionável, contestável
- questionávelproblematic; open to doubt or challenge
- contestávelproblematic; open to doubt or challenge
- duvidosoproblematic; open to doubt or challenge
- problemáticoproblematic; open to doubt or challenge
- questionávelof dubious respectability or morality
- dúbioof dubious respectability or morality
- suspeitoof dubious respectability or morality
Romanian discutabil
- discutabilproblematic; open to doubt or challenge
Russian спо́рный, сомни́тельный
- спо́рный (spórnyj)problematic; open to doubt or challenge
- сомни́тельный (somnítelʹnyj)of dubious respectability or morality
Spanish dudoso, cuestionable
- dudosoof dubious respectability or morality
- cuestionableof dubious respectability or morality
- controvertibleof dubious respectability or morality
- sospechosoof dubious respectability or morality
Swedish tveksam, tvivelaktig
- tveksamproblematic; open to doubt or challenge
- tvivelaktigproblematic; open to doubt or challenge
- tveksamof dubious respectability or morality
- tvivelaktigof dubious respectability or morality
- dubiösof dubious respectability or morality
- suspektof dubious respectability or morality
- misstänktof dubious respectability or morality
- diskutabelof dubious respectability or morality
- disputabelof dubious respectability or morality
- diskuterbarof dubious respectability or morality
Cite this entry
questionable. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/questionable
“questionable.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/questionable. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “questionable,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/questionable.
Source: questionable on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.