DUBIOUS Synonyms: 142 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the adjective 'dubious' contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of dubious are doubtful , problematic , and questionable . While all these words mean "not affording assurance of the worth, soundness, or certainty of something," dubious stresses suspicion, mistrust, or hesitation. // dubious about the practicality of the scheme

Q: When would 'doubtful' be a good substitute for 'dubious'?

The meanings of doubtful and dubious largely overlap; however, doubtful implies little more than a lack of conviction or certainty. // doubtful about whether I said the right thing

Q: Where would 'problematic' be a reasonable alternative to 'dubious'?

While in some cases nearly identical to dubious , problematic applies especially to things whose existence, meaning, fulfillment, or realization is highly uncertain. // whether the project will ever be finished is problematic

Q: When could 'questionable' be used to replace 'dubious'?

The words questionable and dubious can be used in similar contexts, but questionable may imply no more than the existence of doubt but usually suggests that the suspicions are well-grounded. // a man of questionable honesty

dubious

adjective

ˈdü-bē-əs

Definition of dubious next

as in questionable

giving good reason for being doubted, questioned, or challenged any letter bearing the signature of Geronimo would be of dubious authenticity, to say the least

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in reluctant

slow to begin or proceed with a course of action because of doubts or uncertainty I'm dubious about our plan to go hang gliding without having had any training

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as in unlikely

not likely to be true or to occur made the dubious claim of being of royal blood

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as in skeptical

not feeling sure about the truth, wisdom, or trustworthiness of someone or something dubious about a diet that claims I can eat all I want and still lose weight

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Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective dubious contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of dubious are doubtful, problematic, and questionable. While all these words mean "not affording assurance of the worth, soundness, or certainty of something," dubious stresses suspicion, mistrust, or hesitation.

dubious about the practicality of the scheme

When would doubtful be a good substitute for dubious?

The meanings of doubtful and dubious largely overlap; however, doubtful implies little more than a lack of conviction or certainty.

doubtful about whether I said the right thing

Where would problematic be a reasonable alternative to dubious?

While in some cases nearly identical to dubious, problematic applies especially to things whose existence, meaning, fulfillment, or realization is highly uncertain.

whether the project will ever be finished is problematic

When could questionable be used to replace dubious?

The words questionable and dubious can be used in similar contexts, but questionable may imply no more than the existence of doubt but usually suggests that the suspicions are well-grounded.

a man of questionable honesty

Examples of dubious in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Legally dubious million-dollar giveaway The Tesla CEO and X owner has recently upped his involvement in the election, taking to the campaign trail personally to hold pro-Trump events in the key battleground of Pennsylvania. —

Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2024 Yes, but: One area where Harris' backers are far more dubious than Trump's is on the question of whether the Supreme Court would be politically neutral in resolving any election challenges. —

Kathleen Hunter, Axios, 24 Oct. 2024 Despite this being legally dubious, Hungary, Romania, and France have been inspired to follow suit. —

Christine Ro, Forbes, 20 Oct. 2024 The wellness industry commonly uses sly marketing to sell products of dubious effectiveness, but there’s something especially unnerving about its attempt to move into the obesity-drug space. —

Yasmin Tayag, The Atlantic, 16 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for dubious

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dubious.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.