doubt

noun countable/uncountable

UK /daʊt/

Word Forms

singular	doubt
plural	doubts

1
a feeling of not being certain about something
doubt about/as to:
There seems to be some doubt as to whether this is legal.
have no/little doubt that:
I have no doubt that he will succeed.
there is little/no doubt that:
There’s little doubt that the measures will be extremely unpopular.
raise doubts (=make you have doubts):
The accident raised doubts about (=makes people have doubts about) the safety of the aircraft.
nagging/lingering doubts:
Nagging doubts about her story do remain.
grave/serious doubts:
I have serious doubts about whether this system will work.
Synonyms and related words
Uncertainty and being uncertain
uncertainty
doubt
reservation

phrases

be in doubt

beyond (any) doubt

beyond (a/all) reasonable doubt

have your doubts (about)

if/when in doubt

no doubt

open to doubt

without (a) doubt

doubt

noun countable/uncountable

US /daʊt/

Word Forms

singular	doubt
plural	doubts

1
a feeling of not being certain about something
doubt about/as to:
There seems to be some doubt as to whether this is legal.
have no/little doubt that:
I have no doubt that he will succeed.
there is little/no doubt that:
There’s little doubt that the measures will be extremely unpopular.
raise doubts (=make you have doubts):
The accident raised doubts about (=makes people have doubts about) the safety of the aircraft.
nagging/lingering doubts:
Nagging doubts about her story do remain.
grave/serious doubts:
I have serious doubts about whether this system will work.
Synonyms and related words
Uncertainty and being uncertain
uncertainty
doubt
reservation

phrases

be in doubt

beyond (any) doubt

beyond (a/all) reasonable doubt

have your doubts (about)

if/when in doubt

no doubt

open to doubt

without (a) doubt

doubt

verb transitive

UK /daʊt/

Word Forms

present tense
I/you/we/they	doubt
he/she/it	doubts
present participle	doubting
past tense	doubted
past participle	doubted

1
to think that something is probably not true or that it probably does not exist
Some people doubt my ability but I will prove them wrong.
No one doubts the need for improvement.
doubt (that):
I don’t doubt you’re right, but I still disagree.
Synonyms and related words
To be uncertain
question
doubt
be in doubt
2
to think that something is unlikely
‘Do you think they’ll win?’ ‘I doubt it.’
doubt (that):
He promised to come but I doubt he will.
doubt whether/if:
I doubt very much whether we can change it now.
Synonyms and related words
To be uncertain
question
doubt
be in doubt
3
to feel that you cannot trust or believe someone
How could you have doubted me?
Synonyms and related words
To not trust or believe someone or something
disbelieve
distrust
mistrust

phrases

doubt someone’s word

doubt yourself

doubt

verb transitive

US /daʊt/

Word Forms

present tense
I/you/we/they	doubt
he/she/it	doubts
present participle	doubting
past tense	doubted
past participle	doubted

1
to think that something is probably not true or that it probably does not exist
Some people doubt my story but I will prove them wrong.
No one doubts the need for improvement.
doubt (that):
I don’t doubt you’re right, but I still disagree.
Synonyms and related words
To be uncertain
question
doubt
be in doubt
2
to think that something is unlikely
“Do you think they’ll win?” “I doubt it.”
doubt (that):
He promised to come but I doubt he will.
doubt whether/if:
I doubt very much whether we can change it now.
Synonyms and related words
To be uncertain
question
doubt
be in doubt
3
to feel that you cannot trust or believe someone
How could you have doubted me?
Synonyms and related words
To not trust or believe someone or something
disbelieve
distrust
mistrust

phrases

doubt someone’s word

doubt yourself

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