doubted; doubting; doubts
1
: to call into question the truth of : to be uncertain or in doubt about
He doubts everyone's word.
2
a
: to lack confidence in : distrust
… find myself doubting him even when I know that he is honest …—
H. L. Mencken
H. L. Mencken
b
: to consider unlikely
I doubt if I can go.
: to be uncertain
plural doubts
1
a
: a lack of confidence : distrust
has doubts about his abilities
b
: an inclination not to believe or accept
a claim met with doubt
2
a
: uncertainty of belief or opinion that often interferes with decision-making
b
: a deliberate suspension of judgment
3
: a state of affairs giving rise to uncertainty, hesitation, or suspense
The outcome is still in doubt.
Synonyms
Examples of doubt in a Sentence
Verb
I have always doubted the existence of life on other planets.
No one doubts that the mission will be a success.
I seriously doubt my parents will let me go.
“Do you think you can come tonight?” “I doubt it.”
She doubted his ability to succeed.
He said he could do it, but I couldn't help doubting him.
Noun
I still have moments of doubt.
There can be little doubt that smoking is bad for your health.
I had a nagging doubt in the back of my mind.
Recent Examples on the WebMorgan Meaker, WIRED, 22 Apr. 2024
Analysts doubt that either issue will resonate widely.
—Mujib Mashal, New York Times, 19 Apr. 2024
The motion is going to get called, does anybody doubt that?
—Alexandra Hutzler, ABC News, 16 Apr. 2024
Iran continues to insist that its program is 100% peaceful, although certain incidents, such as an unexplained discovery of uranium particles at sites Iran never disclosed to the United Nations nuclear watchdog agency, trouble critics who doubt Iran's motives.
—Peter Kenyon, NPR, 12 Apr. 2024
But a panel of grown-ups at a recent conference in Washington laid out reasons for people of any age to doubt age-verification mandates.
—Rob Pegoraro, PCMAG, 10 Apr. 2024
The Jamal Shead era ended with a sprained ankle in the Sweet 16, but there is zero reason to doubt coach Kelvin Sampson’s ability to quickly retool his roster.
—Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 8 Apr. 2024
Ordering flowers from an online store There’s practically no reason to doubt the utility and convenience an online floral store offers.
—Molly Peck, USA TODAY, 8 Apr. 2024
In approving funding for the World Cup, supporters overcame early skepticism from some lawmakers, who doubted how matches played at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City would benefit Kansas beyond the metro area.
—Jonathan Shorman, Kansas City Star, 5 Apr. 2024
David V. Gioe, Foreign Affairs, 23 Apr. 2024
To prove their case, lawyers for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg need to convince twelve jurors beyond a reasonable doubt that Trump repeatedly falsified records to unlawfully influence the 2016 presidential election.
—Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 22 Apr. 2024
Residents in at least 12 different ZIP codes around KC asked and shared doubts with us about the effectiveness of recycling.
—Natalie Wallington, Kansas City Star, 22 Apr. 2024
In an annual intelligence assessment released in March, American spy agencies expressed doubts about Israel’s ability to truly destroy Hamas, which the United States has designated a terrorist group.
—Adam Rasgon, New York Times, 22 Apr. 2024
The problem with that option is González candidacy has already been accepted by the country’s National Electoral Council, and his elimination now from the race would dispel any remaining doubts concerning the process’s lack of transparency.
—Antonio Maria Delgado, Miami Herald, 22 Apr. 2024
There’s no doubt that without him there wouldn’t be a Metallica.
—Kirsty Hatcher, Peoplemag, 18 Apr. 2024
Mortgage rates have mostly drifted higher in recent weeks as stronger-than-expected reports on employment and inflation stoked doubt among bond investors over how soon the Federal Reserve will move to lower its benchmark interest rate.
—Alex Veiga, Quartz, 18 Apr. 2024
The defense’s line of questioning seems intended to lead to doubts about the trustworthiness of evidence.
—James Hartley, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 Apr. 2024
Verb
Yet analysts doubt that any single European country would be able to resist that type of pressure.
—Morgan Meaker, WIRED, 22 Apr. 2024
Analysts doubt that either issue will resonate widely.
—Mujib Mashal, New York Times, 19 Apr. 2024
The motion is going to get called, does anybody doubt that?
—Alexandra Hutzler, ABC News, 16 Apr. 2024
Iran continues to insist that its program is 100% peaceful, although certain incidents, such as an unexplained discovery of uranium particles at sites Iran never disclosed to the United Nations nuclear watchdog agency, trouble critics who doubt Iran's motives.
—Peter Kenyon, NPR, 12 Apr. 2024
But a panel of grown-ups at a recent conference in Washington laid out reasons for people of any age to doubt age-verification mandates.
—Rob Pegoraro, PCMAG, 10 Apr. 2024
The Jamal Shead era ended with a sprained ankle in the Sweet 16, but there is zero reason to doubt coach Kelvin Sampson’s ability to quickly retool his roster.
—Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 8 Apr. 2024
Ordering flowers from an online store There’s practically no reason to doubt the utility and convenience an online floral store offers.
—Molly Peck, USA TODAY, 8 Apr. 2024
In approving funding for the World Cup, supporters overcame early skepticism from some lawmakers, who doubted how matches played at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City would benefit Kansas beyond the metro area.
—Jonathan Shorman, Kansas City Star, 5 Apr. 2024
Noun
This push for transparency is driven in part by the deluge of publicly available open-source intelligence, which invites doubts about the value of the intelligence community in a world where Bellingcat and other investigative groups seem to know as much as governments.
—David V. Gioe, Foreign Affairs, 23 Apr. 2024
To prove their case, lawyers for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg need to convince twelve jurors beyond a reasonable doubt that Trump repeatedly falsified records to unlawfully influence the 2016 presidential election.
—Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 22 Apr. 2024
Residents in at least 12 different ZIP codes around KC asked and shared doubts with us about the effectiveness of recycling.
—Natalie Wallington, Kansas City Star, 22 Apr. 2024
In an annual intelligence assessment released in March, American spy agencies expressed doubts about Israel’s ability to truly destroy Hamas, which the United States has designated a terrorist group.
—Adam Rasgon, New York Times, 22 Apr. 2024
The problem with that option is González candidacy has already been accepted by the country’s National Electoral Council, and his elimination now from the race would dispel any remaining doubts concerning the process’s lack of transparency.
—Antonio Maria Delgado, Miami Herald, 22 Apr. 2024
There’s no doubt that without him there wouldn’t be a Metallica.
—Kirsty Hatcher, Peoplemag, 18 Apr. 2024
Mortgage rates have mostly drifted higher in recent weeks as stronger-than-expected reports on employment and inflation stoked doubt among bond investors over how soon the Federal Reserve will move to lower its benchmark interest rate.
—Alex Veiga, Quartz, 18 Apr. 2024
The defense’s line of questioning seems intended to lead to doubts about the trustworthiness of evidence.
—James Hartley, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'doubt.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near doubt
Cite this Entry
“Doubt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/doubt. Accessed 26 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
doubt
2 of 2 noun1
: uncertainty of belief or opinion
2
: the state of being uncertain
the outcome is in doubt
3
a
: a lack of confidence
b
: an inclination not to believe or accept
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