Certainty and Doubt - Doubt

Here you will learn some English words related to doubt, such as "hesitate", "dubious", and "confusion".

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apocryphal [adjective]

(of a statement or story) unlikely to be authentic, even though it is widely believed to be true

Ex: The film 's depiction of historical events was criticized for relying on apocryphal sources .

a question mark [hang] over {sth} [phrase]

a feeling of uncertainty and doubt about something

Ex:

arguable [adjective]

open to question and disagreement

Ex: His actions during the crisis are arguable , as some believe he acted wisely while others disagree .

(as|) far as {sb} [know] [phrase]

used to express one's uncertainty about the statement one has made as there might be something that makes it untrue

Ex:

to [be] (only|just|) a matter of time [phrase]

to certainly happen at some point in the future

Ex: For a budding entrepreneur with a great product , it 's just a matter of time before their business takes off .

confusion [noun]

a state of being confused and not having a clear understanding of an action, behavior, etc.

Ex: The conflicting information provided by the two sources only added to her confusion .

debatable [adjective]

subject to argument or disagreement

Ex: His actions in the situation are debatable , as some believe he made the right call while others disagree .

doubt [noun]

a feeling of disbelief or uncertainty about something

Ex:

to doubt [verb]

to not believe or trust in something's truth or accuracy

Ex: If you consistently doubt your abilities , it can hinder personal growth .

doubtful [adjective]

improbable or unlikely to happen or be the case

Ex: The team 's chances of winning the championship seem doubtful after their recent string of losses .

dubious [adjective]

(of a person) unsure or hesitant about the credibility or goodness of something

Ex: He felt dubious about the reliability of the product , given its low price .

halting [adjective]

acting or talking with hesitation due to uncertainty or lack of confidence

Ex:

haltingly [adverb]

(of speech or movement) in a nervous manner that makes one stutter while speaking or stumble while walking

to [have] half a mind to [phrase]

to say that one will do something even though they might not really intending to

Ex: I have half a mind to sell all my belongings and travel the world .

to hesitate [verb]

to pause before saying or doing something because of uncertainty or nervousness

Ex: John hesitated before entering the unfamiliar building , wondering if he was in the right place .

hesitation [noun]

a feeling of doubt, uncertainty, or reluctance before acting

Ex: The team acted without hesitation once the signal was given .

if [noun]

‌an uncertain possibility or condition

iffy [adjective]

having a feeling of uncertainty or doubt toward something

Ex: The reliability of the website seemed iffy , so I double-checked the information elsewhere .

impossible [adjective]

not able to occur, exist, or be done

Ex: His dream seemed like an impossible goal , yet he pursued it relentlessly .

maybe [adverb]

used to show uncertainty or hesitation

Ex: The new employee might join our team , but it 's not confirmed , maybe next week .

not necessarily [phrase]

used usually in a response to show that something may not be true

Ex: That is not necessarily true .

or what [phrase]

used to show one's uncertainty of something

Ex: Is she still upset about the argument , or what ?

possibly [adverb]

used to express that something might happen or be true

Ex: She could possibly attend the event , depending on her schedule .

Certainty and Doubt
Certainty and Assurance	Confidence and Surety	Certainty and Confidence	Doubt
Uncertainty	Possibility and Probability	Assessment and Estimation	Evaluation and Speculation
Assessment and Speculation