Doubtful
/ˈdaʊtfəl/Definition, CEFR level B1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
adjSubject to, or causing doubt.
adjExperiencing or showing doubt, skeptical.
Sentence Examples
One thing remains doubtful.
I'm doubtful about what I ought to do.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The outcome of the game was ____ after the star player was injured.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
One thing remains ____.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English doutfull, douteful, equivalent to doubt + -ful.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Yet it is not the predominant views of the experts but the views of a minority, mostly of rather doubtful standing in their profession, which are taken up and spread by the intellectuals."
— 1949, F. A. Hayek, “The Intellectuals and Socialism”, in University of Chicago Law Review, volume 16, number 3, Chicago: University of Chicago, →DOI, page 419:
"The pupils of her great eyes were large in the doubtful lamplight, swallowing their green fires in deep pools of mystery and darkness."
— 1922, E[ric] R[ücker] Eddison, “395–396”, in The Worm Ouroboros: A Romance, London: Jonathan Cape […], →OCLC:
"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."
— 1976, Kenneth Gibbons, Donald Cameron Rowat, Political Corruption in Canada: Cases, Causes and Cures, page 45:
Explore More B1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The outcome of the game was ____ after the star player was injured.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
One thing remains ____.