doubt
/daʊt
/noun [mass noun]
A feeling of uncertainty or lack of conviction: some doubt has been cast upon the authenticity of this account [count noun]: they had doubts that they would ever win...
- Each relationship, until now, had doubt, anxiety, uncertainty, as their qualities.
- He said he would question the validity of parts of that opinion and would bring fresh evidence which cast doubt on the conviction.
- I expressed enthusiasm, and he, as usual, expressed some doubt and uncertainty.
Synonyms
uncertainty, lack of certainty, unsureness, indecision, hesitation, hesitancy, dubiousness, suspicion, confusion;
question mark, queries, questions
rare dubiety, incertitude
indecision, hesitation, diffidence, uncertainty, insecurity, inhibition, unease, uneasiness, apprehension;
hesitancy, wavering, vacillation, irresolution, lack of conviction, demurral
scepticism, distrust, mistrust, lack of trust, doubtfulness, suspicion, cynicism, disbelief, incredulity, unbelief, misbelief, lack of confidence/conviction, uneasiness, apprehension, wariness, chariness, questioning;
reservations, misgivings, suspicions, qualms
informal leeriness
rare dubiety
verb
1 [with object] Feel uncertain about: I doubt my ability to do the job [with clause]: I doubt if anyone slept that night...
- I have never doubted her ability to make a positive contribution to this community.
- She said she doubted its ability to run the service, and asked the Executive to start negotiations with other operators.
- It was hoped that the weight of celestial opinion would undermine his authority and cause him to doubt his own decision-making ability.
1.1Question the truth or fact of (something): who can doubt the value and necessity of these services?...
- The awful truth is that I doubt the relaxation of the licensing laws will make much difference; in fact, if they slow down these binges, the new hours might even help.
- It is your right to doubt the validity and truth of this site.
- In fact, he doubted her creditability, until she pulled out a map she had bought from one of the merchants in Sernual.
Synonyms
think something unlikely, have (one's) doubts about, question, query, be dubious, lack conviction, have reservations about
1.2Disbelieve or lack faith in (someone): I have no reason to doubt him...
- So, when he says that he is resigning for personal reasons, I see no reason to doubt him.
- With a £750m share buyback and 7% dividend hike to underpin his faith in the strategy, they will have few reasons for doubting him.
- I have no reason to doubt him in the general sense.
Synonyms
disbelieve, distrust, mistrust, suspect, lack confidence in, have doubts about, be suspicious of, have suspicions about, have misgivings about, feel uneasy about, feel apprehensive about, call into question, cast doubt on, query, question, challenge, dispute, have reservations about
archaic misdoubt
1.3 [no object] Feel uncertain, especially about one’s religious beliefs.I became angry with myself for my blind belief in the Bus, and my reluctance to doubt before that minute....
- But I have seen friends who once believed without doubting, and without testing those beliefs, slowly become more rational.
- In order to doubt or wonder about the provenance of his beliefs an agent must know what belief is.
Synonyms
be undecided, have doubts, be irresolute, be hesitant, be tentative, be ambivalent, be divided, be doubtful, be unsure, be uncertain, be in two minds, hesitate, shilly-shally, waver, falter, vacillate, dither, demur
informal sit on the fence
2 [with clause] archaic Fear; be afraid: I doubt not any ones contradicting this Journal...
- Doubt not, my lord, they shall be well opposed.
Phrases
beyond doubt
in doubt
no doubt
without (a) doubt
Derivatives
doubtable
/ adjective ...- The existence of a cover-up is not doubted by anyone in particular, you understand, it's just ontologically a doubtable concept.
- Layers of confusion build and opinions that once were entirely convincing become doubtable and strange.
- Jethro Tull fans are some of the most virulent, trivia-obsessed blowhards this side of a Magic convention, and their argumentative nature and fierce defense of Jethro Tull's doubtable importance are nearly comical.
Origin
Middle English: from Old French doute (noun), douter (verb), from Latin dubitare 'hesitate', from dubius 'doubtful' (see dubious).
In English doubt goes back to Latin dubitare ‘to hesitate, waver’, from dubium ‘doubt’ (from which dubious (mid 16th century) also derives). The immediate sources were French forms in which the -b- had been lost, and people never pronounced the b- in doubt—it was a learned spelling to show that the writer knew the original Latin word. The first doubting Thomas to refuse to believe something without proof was the apostle Thomas. In the biblical account Thomas refused to believe that Christ was risen again until he could see and touch the wounds inflicted during the Crucifixion.