Definitions for doubtful
ˈdaʊt fəldoubt·ful

Princeton's WordNet(5.00 / 2 votes)Rate this definition:

1. doubtful, dubious, dubitable, in question(p)(adj)

   open to doubt or suspicion

   "the candidate's doubtful past"; "he has a dubious record indeed"; "what one found uncertain the other found dubious or downright false"; "it was more than dubitable whether the friend was as influential as she thought"- Karen Horney

2. doubtful, dubious(adj)

   fraught with uncertainty or doubt

   "they were doubtful that the cord would hold"; "it was doubtful whether she would be admitted"; "dubious about agreeing to go"

3. doubtful, tentative(adj)

   unsettled in mind or opinion

   "drew a few tentative conclusions"

Wiktionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. doubtful(Adjective)

   Subject to, or causing doubt

2. doubtful(Adjective)

   Experiencing or showing doubt

3. doubtful(Adjective)

   Undecided or of uncertain outcome

4. doubtful(Adjective)

   Fearsome, dreadful.

5. doubtful(Adjective)

   Improbable or unlikely

6. doubtful(Adjective)

   Suspicious, or of dubious character

7. doubtful(Adjective)

   Unclear or unreliable

Webster Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Doubtful(adj)

   not settled in opinion; undetermined; wavering; hesitating in belief; also used, metaphorically, of the body when its action is affected by such a state of mind; as, we are doubtful of a fact, or of the propriety of a measure

2. Doubtful(adj)

   admitting of doubt; not obvious, clear, or certain; questionable; not decided; not easy to be defined, classed, or named; as, a doubtful case, hue, claim, title, species, and the like

3. Doubtful(adj)

   characterized by ambiguity; dubious; as, a doubtful expression; a doubtful phrase

4. Doubtful(adj)

   of uncertain issue or event

5. Doubtful(adj)

   fearful; apprehensive; suspicious

British National Corpus

1. Adjectives Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'doubtful' in Adjectives Frequency: #883

How to pronounce doubtful?

1. 

   Alex

   US English

   

   Daniel

   British

   

   Karen

   Australian

   

   Veena

   Indian

How to say doubtful in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of doubtful in Chaldean Numerology is: 4

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of doubtful in Pythagorean Numerology is: 2

Examples of doubtful in a Sentence

1. Hazlitt:

   Women never reason and therefore they are, comparatively, seldom wrong. They judge instinctively of what falls under their immediate observation or experience, and do not trouble themselves about remote or doubtful consequences. If they make no profound discoveries, they do not involve themselves in gross absurdities. It is only by the help of reason and logical inference, according to Hobbes, that ?man becomes excellently wise or excellently foolish.?

2. Sallust:

   All who consult on doubtful matters, should be void of hatred, friendship, anger, and pity.

3. Aesop:

   A doubtful friend is worse than a certain enemy. Let a man be one thing or the other, and we then know how to meet him.

4. Machiavelli:

   It must be considered that there is nothing more difficult to carry out, nor more doubtful of success, nor more dangerous to handle, than to initiate a new order of things. For the reformer has enemies in all those who would profit by the old order, only lukewarm defenders in all those who would profit by the new.

5. Curtis Houck:

   If you had told someone a few years ago, after Joy Behar's show on Current TV were canceled, that she would not only remain on ‘The View,’ but emerge as a far-left folk hero, it's doubtful that even the most ardent supporters would have predicted this, the Resistance can't seem to get enough of her.

Images & Illustrations of doubtful

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