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| Main Entry: | |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | doubtful, uncertain |
| Synonyms: | ambiguous, apocryphal, arguable, contingent, controversial, controvertible, cryptic, debatable, disputable, dubious, dubitable, enigmatic, equivocal, fishy, hard to believe, hypothetical, iffy, indecisive, indefinite, indeterminate, moot, mysterious, obscure, occult, open to doubt, open to question, oracular, paradoxical, problematic, problematical, provisional, shady, suspect, suspicious, unconfirmed, undefined, under advisement, under examination, unproven, unreliable, unsettled, vague |
| Notes: | questionable means open to doubt, disagreement, or challenge - or of dubious morality, honesty, or respectability; questioning (adjective) means showing curiosity or inquiring about - or (noun) an inquiry or interrogation |
| Antonyms: | certain, definite, indisputable, proven, sure, undoubted, unquestionable |
| Main Entry: | ambiguous |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | having more than one meaning |
| Synonyms: | clear as dishwater, cryptic, doubtful, dubious, enigmatic, enigmatical, equivocal, inconclusive, indefinite, indeterminate, inexplicit, muddy, multivocal, obscure, opaque, polysemous, puzzling, questionable, tenebrous, uncertain, unclear, unintelligible, vague |
| Notes: | ambiguous is vague by accident or intent; equivocal is vague by intent |
| Antonyms: | clear, definite, explicit, lucid |
| Main Entry: | arguable |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | debatable |
| Synonyms: | contentious, controversial, disputable, doubtful, dubious, moot, open to question, questionable, sub judice, uncertain, unsure |
| Antonyms: | certain |
| Main Entry: | controversial |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | at issue |
| Synonyms: | arguable, argumentative, contended, contentious, contestable, controvertible, debateable, disputable, disputatious, disputed, doubtable, doubtful, dubious, dubitable, in dispute, litigious, moot, open to discussion, open to question, polemical, questionable, suspect, uncertain, under discussion |
| Antonyms: | agreeable, incontrovertible, peaceful, uncontroversial, undisputed, undoubted, unquestionable |
| Main Entry: | crooked |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | evil, corrupt |
| Synonyms: | crafty, criminal, deceitful, devious, dishonest, dishonorable, double-dealing, dubious, fraudulent, illegal, indirect, iniquitous, lying, nefarious, questionable, ruthless, shady, shifty, suborned, treacherous, underhand, unlawful, unprincipled, unscrupulous, untruthful |
| Antonyms: | good, honest, law-abiding, lawful, moral |
| Main Entry: | debatable |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | controversial |
| Synonyms: | arguable, between rock and hard place, between sixes and sevens, betwixt and between, bone of contention, borderline, chancy, contestable, disputable, doubtful, dubious, iffy, in dispute, moot, mootable, open to question, problematic, problematical, questionable, the jury's out, touch and go, uncertain, undecided, unsettled, up for discussion |
| Antonyms: | certain, inarguable, incontrovertible, indubious, questionable, sure, uncontestable, undoubted |
| Main Entry: | disputable |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | debatable; open to discussion |
| Synonyms: | arguable, controversial, doubtful, dubious, moot, mootable, problematic, questionable, uncertain |
| Antonyms: | inarguable, indisputable, unquestionable |
| Main Entry: | dubious |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | doubtful |
| Synonyms: | arguable, chancy, debatable, diffident, disputable, dubitable, equivocal, far-fetched, fishy, fly-by-night, hesitant, iffy, improbable, indecisive, moot, mootable, open, perplexed, problematic, questionable, reluctant, shady, skeptical, suspect, suspicious, touch and go, trustless, unassured, uncertain, unclear, unconvinced, undecided, undependable, unlikely, unreliable, unsure, untrustworthy, untrusty, wavering |
| Notes: | a person is capable of doubting, whereas a thing is dubitable; dubious, unlike doubtful, carries the connotation of suspicion |
| Antonyms: | certain, definite, doubtless, positive, reliable, sure, trustworthy, trusty, undoubtful |
| Main Entry: | equivocal |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | doubtful, uncertain |
| Synonyms: | ambiguous, ambivalent, amphibological, borderline, clear as mud, clouded, disreputable, dubious, evasive, fishy, fuzzy*, hazy*, indefinite, indeterminate, indistinct, misleading, muddled, muzzy, oblique, obscure, open, problematic, puzzling, questionable, suspect, suspicious, tenebrous, unclear, undecided, unexplicit, unintelligible, vague, with mixed feelings |
| Notes: | ambiguous is vague by accident or intent; equivocal is vague by intent |
| Antonyms: | certain, clear, definite, determined, obvious, plain, sure, unequivocal, unquestionable |
* = informal/non-formal usage
Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition
Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.
Cite This Source
Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition
Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.
Cite This Source
Copyright © 2013 Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.
