Categories: GeneralSynonyms

DUBIOUS: Synonyms and Related Words. What is Another Word for DUBIOUS?

Need another word that means the same as “dubious”? Find 25 synonyms and 30 related words for “dubious” in this overview.

Table Of Contents:

Dubious as an Adjective
Definitions of "Dubious" as an adjective
Synonyms of "Dubious" as an adjective (25 Words)
Usage Examples of "Dubious" as an adjective
Associations of "Dubious" (30 Words)

The synonyms of “Dubious” are: doubtful, dubitable, in question, uncertain, unsure, in doubt, hesitant, suspicious, suspect, under suspicion, untrustworthy, unreliable, undependable, questionable, equivocal, ambiguous, indeterminate, indefinite, unclear, vague, imprecise, hazy, puzzling, enigmatic, cryptic

Dubious as an Adjective

Definitions of "Dubious" as an adjective

According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, “dubious” as an adjective can have the following definitions:

Not convinced.
Fraught with uncertainty or doubt.
Morally suspect.
Hesitating or doubting.
Not to be relied upon; suspect.
Of questionable value.
Open to doubt or suspicion.

Synonyms of "Dubious" as an adjective (25 Words)

ambiguous	Open to two or more interpretations; or of uncertain nature or significance; or (often) intended to mislead. The election result was ambiguous.
cryptic	Of an obscure nature- Rachel. He found his boss s utterances too cryptic.
doubtful	Improbable. I was doubtful* of my judgement.*
dubitable	Open to doubt or suspicion. It was more than dubitable* whether the friend was as influential as she thought.*
enigmatic	Resembling an oracle in obscurity of thought. He took the money with an enigmatic* smile.*
equivocal	Open to question-Anna Jameson. The evidence from bacteriologic analysis was equivocal.
hazy	Indistinct or hazy in outline. School leavers were often hazy* about employment.*
hesitant	Lacking decisiveness of character; unable to act or decide quickly or firmly. Her slow hesitant* way of speaking.*
imprecise	Not precise. The terms he used were imprecise* and emotional.*
in doubt	Currently fashionable.
in question	Directed or bound inward.
indefinite	Lasting for an unknown or unstated length of time. Amorphous blots of color having vague and indefinite* edges.*
indeterminate	Of uncertain or ambiguous nature. An indeterminate* campaign.*
puzzling	Lacking clarity of meaning; causing confusion or perplexity. Only one very puzzling* question remains unanswered.*
questionable	Able to be refuted. Questionable motives.
suspect	Not to be relied on or trusted; possibly dangerous or false. A suspect* package was found on the platform.*
suspicious	Not as expected. Police were called when staff became suspicious.
uncertain	Lacking or indicating lack of confidence or assurance. An uncertain* smile.*
unclear	Not obvious or definite; ambiguous. The law itself was unclear* on that point.*
undependable	Not worthy of reliance or trust. An undependable* generalization.*
under suspicion	Lower in rank, power, or authority.
unreliable	Lacking a sense of responsibility. In the early 1950s computers were large and expensive and unreliable.
unsure	Not feeling, showing, or done with confidence and certainty. She was feeling nervous unsure* of herself.*
untrustworthy	Not worthy of trust or belief. Thomas considered her to be devious and untrustworthy.
vague	Of uncertain, indefinite, or unclear character or meaning. A vague* uneasiness.*

Usage Examples of "Dubious" as an adjective

He holds the dubious distinction of being relegated with every club he has played for.
They admitted the force of my argument but remained dubious.
What one found uncertain the other found dubious or downright false.
He has a dubious record indeed.
Dubious about agreeing to go.
Extremely dubious assumptions.
Timeshare has been brought into disrepute by dubious sales methods.
I was rather dubious about the whole idea.

Associations of "Dubious" (30 Words)

agnostic	Relating to agnostics or agnosticism. Our industry is moving towards a device agnostic* model.*
askance	Directed to one side with or as if with doubt or suspicion or envy- Elizabeth Bowen. The reformers looked askance* at the mystical tradition.*
askew	Wrong; awry. Her hat was slightly askew.
cynical	Concerned only with one’s own interests and typically disregarding accepted standards in order to achieve them. He gave a cynical* laugh.*
disbelief	A rejection of belief. I ll burn in hell for disbelief.
distrust	Doubt about someone’s honesty. Speculation remained that the Army distrusted the peace process.
doubt	Consider unlikely or have doubts about. I doubt* not any ones contradicting this Journal.*
doubtful	Open to doubt or suspicion. He looked doubtful* but gave a nod.*
freethinker	A person who rejects accepted opinions, especially those concerning religious belief.
incredulity	Doubt about the truth of something. He stared down the street in incredulity.
incredulous	Not disposed or willing to believe; unbelieving. An incredulous* gasp.*
leery	Openly distrustful and unwilling to confide. A city leery* of gang violence.*
misgiving	A feeling of doubt or apprehension about the outcome or consequences of something. I felt a sense of misgiving* at the prospect of retirement.*
pessimist	A person who believes that this world is as bad as it could be or that evil will ultimately prevail over good. He finds solace in the writings of pessimist* philosophers.*
question	An instance of questioning. The question* of local government funding worried ministers.*
questionable	Able to be refuted. Questionable motives.
questioning	Showing an interest in learning new things. The young lieutenant escorted us to the barracks for questioning.
sceptic	Someone who habitually doubts accepted beliefs.
sceptical	Relating to the theory that certain knowledge is impossible. The public were deeply sceptical* about some of the proposals.*
sidelong	On the side. Moved downward in a sidelong* way.*
skeptic	Someone who habitually doubts accepted beliefs.
skeptical	Denying or questioning the tenets of especially a religion. A skeptical* approach to the nature of miracles.*
skepticism	Doubt about the truth of something.
surprise	Cause to be surprised. Much to her surprise* she d missed him.*
suspect	Not to be relied on or trusted; possibly dangerous or false. A broker whose honesty he had no reason to suspect.
suspicious	Openly distrustful and unwilling to confide. Police were called when staff became suspicious.
suspiciously	In a way that arouses suspicion or distrust. The group was suspiciously* quiet about their activities.*
unbelief	Lack of religious belief; an absence of faith. The distinction between doubt and unbelief* is valid and useful.*
uncertain	Ambiguous (especially in the negative. Everything is uncertain* about the army.*
uncertainty	The state of being unsure of something. Times of uncertainty* and danger.*