to be uncertain about; consider questionable or unlikely; hesitate to believe: The police have good reason to doubt his alibi.
to distrust; regard with suspicion: I doubted the salesman, so we decided to check with other dealers.
Archaic. to fear; be apprehensive about.
verb (used without object)
to be uncertain about something; be undecided in opinion or belief: The priest told me that it was normal to doubt, but encouraged me to nurture my faith.
noun
a feeling of uncertainty about the truth, reality, or nature of something: We all had our doubts about your mysterious Canadian girlfriend since no one has ever seen her in person.
distrust or suspicion: Voters naturally held some doubt about the abrupt change in policy direction issued by city hall.
a general feeling of uncertainty, worry, or concern: As soon as I'd dropped out of school to become a full-time musician, I was full of doubt—what if I’d made a terrible mistake?Set your doubts aside, and listen to my business idea with an open mind.
a state of affairs such as to occasion uncertainty.
Obsolete. fear; dread.
Idioms for doubt
beyond a / the shadow of a doubt, with certainty; definitely. Also beyond a doubt,beyond doubt.
in doubt, in a state of uncertainty or suspense: His appointment to the position is still in doubt.
no doubt,
probably.
certainly: There is no doubt an element of truth in what you say.
without doubt, unquestionably; certainly.
Origin of doubt
First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English verb douten, duten, doubten, from Old French douter, doter “to doubt, be doubtful,” from Latin dubitāre “to waver, hesitate, be uncertain” (frequentative of Old Latin dubāre ), equivalent to dub- “doubt” + -it- frequentative suffix + -āre infinitive suffix; noun derivative of the verb. The -b- first appears between 1420–30 in imitation of Latin dubit-
SYNONYMS FOR doubt
1, 2 mistrust, suspect, question.
5 indecision, irresolution.
SEE SYNONYMS FOR doubt ON THESAURUS.COM
usage note for doubt
Doubt and doubtful may be followed by a subordinate clause beginning with that, whether, or if: I doubt that (or whether or if ) the story is true. It is doubtful that (or whether or if ) the story is true. There is some doubt that (or whether or if ) the story is true. In negative or interrogative sentences, that almost always introduces the subordinate clause: I do not doubt that the story is true. Is it doubtful that the story is true? Is there any doubt that the story is true? The expressions doubt but and doubt but that occur in all varieties of standard speech and writing: I don't doubt but she is sincere. There is no doubt but that the charges will affect his career.Doubt but what occurs mainly in informal speech and writing: There is no doubt but what the rainy weather will hurt the crops.
doubt·ing·ness,nounnon·doubt·a·ble,adjectivenon·doubt·er,nounnon·doubt·ing,adjectivenon·doubt·ing·ly,adverbo·ver·doubt,verb (used with object)pre·doubt,noun,verbpre·doubt·er,nounun·doubt·a·ble,adjectiveun·doubt·ing,adjective
When you’re concerned with all things at one time, things become less obvious — and that’s what constitutes doubt.
Don’t Blame The Refs For All Of These Replay Reviews|Jared Dubin|September 17, 2020|FiveThirtyEight
I mention this not to sow doubt in your mind, not to scare you, but rather to prepare you.
‘How I Built This’ host Guy Raz on insights from some of the world’s most famous entrepreneurs|Rachel King|September 15, 2020|Fortune
It’s thrown her dreams of opening a full-service dine-in restaurant or a franchising strategy into doubt.
The Big Corporate Rescue and the America That’s Too Small to Save|by Lydia DePillis, Justin Elliott and Paul Kiel|September 12, 2020|ProPublica
Explaining the reasoning behind each data point and action in your SEO proposal, and arguing from first principles, should leave less room for doubt and more for critical thinking.
SEO proposals: Particular challenges and how to avoid getting a silent no|SEOmonitor|September 10, 2020|Search Engine Watch
Without a doubt, there’s a link between the sound and meaning for animals.
Talking Is Throwing Fictional Worlds at One Another - Issue 89: The Dark Side|Kevin Berger|September 9, 2020|Nautilus
And, in the case of fluoride, at least, that doubt might actually be justified.
Anti-Fluoriders Are The OG Anti-Vaxxers|Michael Schulson|July 27, 2016|DAILY BEAST
He no doubt had heard by then that some of the cops had ignored his request and turned their backs.
Funeral Protest Is Too Much for NYPD Union Boss|Michael Daly|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Their confrontation at dinner was, without a doubt, the highlight of the episode.
‘Downton Abbey’ Review: A Fire, Some Sex, and Sad, Sad Edith|Kevin Fallon|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST
These men and women will no doubt cause a tug a war in time.
Up To Speed: The Cuba Embargo|Nina Strochlic|December 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
His decision to stick to his convictions on Thursday is no doubt positive news for them.
Presidential Hopeful Rand Paul Backs Obama on Cuba Deal|Olivia Nuzzi|December 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The officer shook his head in token of doubt about the truthfulness of that denial, and grinned sardonically.
Secret Service or Recollections of a City Detective|Andrew Forrester
The Camaldolites grew out of an Italian reform movement independent of Clugny though no doubt related to it.
The Rise of the Mediaeval Church|Alexander Clarence Flick
No doubt exists with us now that the Shore Lark breeds here; we meet with them very frequently.
Audubon and his Journals, Volume I (of 2)|Maria R. Audubon
I will not say what chapter he found, for, after all, I doubt if we had any real notion of what it meant.
Wilfrid Cumbermede|George MacDonald
No one can doubt it who knows the situation of the two countries, still less anyone who has read the correspondence.
A Compilation of the Messages and Papers of the Presidents|James D. Richardson
British Dictionary definitions for doubt
doubt
/ (daʊt) /
noun
uncertainty about the truth, fact, or existence of something (esp in the phrases in doubt, without doubt, beyond a shadow of doubt, etc)
(often plural)lack of belief in or conviction about somethingall his doubts about the project disappeared
an unresolved difficulty, point, etc
philosophythe methodical device, esp in the philosophy of Descartes, of identifying certain knowledge as the residue after rejecting any proposition which might, however improbably, be false
obsoletefear
give someone the benefit of the doubtto presume someone suspected of guilt to be innocent; judge leniently
no doubtalmost certainly
verb
(tr; may take a clause as object)to be inclined to disbelieveI doubt we are late
(tr)to distrust or be suspicious ofhe doubted their motives
(intr)to feel uncertainty or be undecided
(tr; may take a clause as object)Scotto be inclined to believe
(tr)archaicto fear
I wouldn't doubt someoneIrishI would expect nothing else from someone
Where a clause follows doubt in a positive sentence, it was formerly considered correct to use whether (I doubt whether he will come ), but now if and that are also acceptable. In negative statements, doubt is followed by that: I do not doubt that he is telling the truth. In such sentences, but (I do not doubt but that he is telling the truth) is redundant