doubtful

doubt·ful  (doutfl)

adj.

1. Subject to or causing doubt: a doubtful claim; doubtful prospects.

2. Experiencing or showing doubt: Doubtful that the cord would hold, we strengthened it.

3. Of uncertain outcome; undecided.

4. Raising doubts as to legitimacy, honesty, or respectability; suspicious: the candidate's doubtful past. See Usage Note at doubt.

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doubtful·ly adv.

doubtful·ness n.

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doubtful

Adjective

1. unlikely or improbable: it's doubtful that I will marry again

2. unsure or uncertain: I was doubtful about some of his ideas

doubtfully adv
doubtfulness n

USAGE: It was formerly considered correct to use whether after doubtful (it is doubtful whether he will come), but now if and that are also acceptable.

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In artillery and naval gunfire support, a term used by an observer or spotter to indicate that he was unable to determine the difference in range between the target and a round or rounds.

Thesaurus

Adj.	1.	doubtful - 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 dubitable, in question, dubious questionable - subject to question; "questionable motives"; "a questionable reputation"; "a fire of questionable origin"
	2.	doubtful - 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" dubious incertain, uncertain, unsure - lacking or indicating lack of confidence or assurance; "uncertain of his convictions"; "unsure of himself and his future"; "moving with uncertain (or unsure) steps"; "an uncertain smile"; "touched the ornaments with uncertain fingers"
	3.	doubtful - unsettled in mind or opinion; "drew a few tentative conclusions" tentative unsettled - still in doubt; "an unsettled issue"; "an unsettled state of mind"

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doubtful

adjective 1. unlikely, unclear, dubious, unsettled, dodgy Brit., Austral., N.Z. (informal) questionable, ambiguous, improbable, indefinite, unconfirmed, inconclusive, debatable, indeterminate, iffy (informal) equivocal, inexact << OPPOSITE certain

adjective 2. unsure, uncertain, hesitant, suspicious, hesitating, sceptical, unsettled, tentative, wavering, unresolved, perplexed, undecided, unconvinced, vacillating, leery (slang) distrustful, in two minds (informal) irresolute << OPPOSITE certain

adjective 3. questionable, suspect, suspicious, crooked, dubious, dodgy Brit., Austral., N.Z. (informal) slippery, shady (informal) unscrupulous, fishy (informal) shifty, disreputable, untrustworthy, shonky Austral., N.Z. (informal)

USAGE In the past, whether was the only word considered acceptable for linking the adjective doubtful in the sense of `improbable' to a following clause, for example it is doubtful whether he will come. Nowadays, however, doubtful if and doubtful that are also considered acceptable.

Translations

doubtful [ˈdautful] adj → dudoso (= arousing suspicion) [person] → sospechoso;

to be doubtful about sth → tener dudas sobre algo;

I'm a bit doubtful → no estoy convencido

doubtful [ˈdautful] doubt adj → douteux/euse; [person] → incertain(e);

to be doubtful about sth → avoir des doutes sur qch, ne pas être convaincu de qch;

I'm a bit doubtful → je n'en suis pas certain or sûr

doubtful [ˈdautful] doubt adj → zweifelhaft;

to be doubtful about sth doubt → an etw dat zweifeln;

to be doubtful about doing sth doubt → Bedenken haben, ob man etw tun soll;

I'm a bit doubtful doubt → ich bin nicht ganz sicher

doubtful [ˈdautful] adj → dubbioso/a, incerto/a; [person] → equivoco/a;

to be doubtful about sth → avere dei dubbi su qc, non essere convinto di qc;

I'm a bit doubtful → non ne sono sicuro