doubtful

English

Alternative forms

• doubtfull (archaic)

Etymology

From Middle English doutfull, douteful, equivalent to doubt +‎ -ful.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈdaʊtfəl/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Hyphenation: doubt‧ful

Adjective

doubtful (comparative more doubtful, superlative most doubtful)

1. Subject to, or causing doubt.
2. Experiencing or showing doubt, skeptical.
3. Undecided or of uncertain outcome.
4. (obsolete) Fearsome, dreadful.
5. Improbable or unlikely.
6. Suspicious, or of dubious character.
7. Unclear or unreliable.
   • 1922, E.R. Eddison, The Worm Ouroboros:

     The pupils of her great eyes were large in the doubtful lamplight, swallowing their green fires in deep pools of mystery and darkness.

Derived terms

• doubtfully
• doubtfulness

Translations

subject to, or causing doubt

• Armenian: երկբայելի (erkbayeli), կասկածելի (hy) (kaskaceli)
• Azerbaijani: şübhəli
• Bulgarian: съмнителен (bg) (sǎmnitelen)
• Catalan: dubtós (ca)
• Finnish: epäilyttävä (fi)
• French: douteux (fr), douteuse (fr)
• Georgian: საეჭვო (saeč̣vo), სათუო (satuo)
• German: zweifelhaft (de)
• Hungarian: kétséges (hu)
• Irish: dabhtúil
• Italian: dubbio (it)
• Latin: dubius
• Maori: kārangirangi, pōkaku, hokirua
• Norman: douteux
• Portuguese: duvidoso (pt), dúbio (pt)
• Romanian: dubios (ro), îndoielnic (ro)
• Russian: сомни́тельный (ru) (somnítelʹnyj)
• Scottish Gaelic: mì-chinnteach
• Spanish: dudoso (es)
• Telugu: సంశయాత్మకమైన (saṁśayātmakamaina)
• Tocharian B: klänkarṣke

experiencing or showing doubt

• Armenian: կասկածամիտ (hy) (kaskacamit), թերահավատ (hy) (tʻerahavat) (sceptical), երկբայելի (erkbayeli), կասկածելի (hy) (kaskaceli)
• Azerbaijani: şübhələnən, şəkli
• Bulgarian: съмняващ се (sǎmnjavašt se)
• Catalan: dubtós (ca)
• Danish: tvivlende, usikker
• Finnish: epävarma (fi), epäilevä (fi)
• German: zweifelnd (de)
• Irish: amhrasach
• Italian: discutibile (it)
• Latin: dubitabundus
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: tvilende (no)

  Nynorsk: tvilande

• Portuguese: incerto (pt)
• Russian: сомнева́ющийся (ru) (somnevájuščijsja)
• Scottish Gaelic: mì-chinnteach
• Telugu: సంశయాత్మకమైన (saṁśayātmakamaina)

undecided or of uncertain outcome

• Bulgarian: несигурен (bg) (nesiguren)
• Danish: tvivlsom
• Finnish: epävarma (fi)
• German: zweifelhaft (de)
• Hungarian: kétséges (hu)
• Italian: incerto (it)
• Maori: hokirua, taupetupetu
• Portuguese: incerto (pt)
• Russian: сомни́тельный (ru) (somnítelʹnyj)
• Scottish Gaelic: mì-chinnteach
• Telugu: సంశయాత్మకమైన (saṁśayātmakamaina)

improbable or unlikely

• Bulgarian: невероятен (bg) (neverojaten)
• Danish: tvivlsom
• Finnish: epätodennäköinen (fi)
• German: zweifelhaft (de)
• Italian: improbabile (it)
• Portuguese: duvidoso (pt)
• Russian: сомни́тельный (ru) (somnítelʹnyj)
• Spanish: dudoso (es)
• Telugu: సంశయాత్మకమైన (saṁśayātmakamaina)

suspicious, or of dubious character

• Bulgarian: подозрителен (bg) (podozritelen)
• Czech: pochybný (cs) m
• Danish: tvivlsom
• Finnish: epäilyttävä (fi), arveluttava (fi), kyseenalainen (fi)
• German: zweifelhaft (de)
• Hungarian: kétes (hu)
• Italian: sospetto (it)
• Telugu: సంశయాత్మకమైన (saṁśayātmakamaina)

Noun

doubtful (plural doubtfuls)

1. A doubtful person or thing.
   • 1976, Kenneth Gibbons, Donald Cameron Rowat, Political Corruption in Canada: Cases, Causes and Cures, page 45:

     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.