doubt

doubt
I UK [daʊt] / US noun [countable/uncountable]
Word forms "doubt":
singular doubt plural doubts
***
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.

•

beyond (any) doubt — if something is beyond doubt, it is completely certain; in a way that is completely certain; put something beyond (any) doubt to make the result of something certain

What is beyond doubt is that he is utterly incompetent.

His ability to succeed has been established beyond any doubt.

beyond (a) reasonable doubt — legal to a degree that the law considers to be satisfactory for making a decision

The prosecution cannot prove beyond all reasonable doubt that she intended to kill him.

have your doubts (about) — to have reasons why you do not feel certain about someone or something

He might be telling the truth, but I have my doubts.

if/when in doubt — if you are not certain: used when giving advice or instructions

If in doubt, get someone to help you.

without (a) doubt — very definitely: used for emphasis

She is without a doubt one of our most talented students.

See:
benefit I

II UK [daʊt] / US verb [transitive]
Word forms "doubt":
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.

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.

3) to feel that you cannot trust or believe someone

How could you have doubted me?

•

Derived word:
doubter
noun countable
Word forms "doubter":
singular doubter plural doubters

English dictionary. 2014.

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Synonyms:
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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Doubt — • A state in which the mind is suspended between two contradictory propositions and unable to assent to either of them Catholic Encyclopedia. Kevin Knight. 2006. Doubt     Doubt      …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • doubt — doubt·able; doubt·er; doubt·ful·ly; doubt·ful·ness; doubt·ing·ly; doubt·ing·ness; doubt·less·ness; doubt·some; re·doubt·able; re·doubt·ably; re·doubt·ed; un·doubt·ed·ly; un·doubt·ing·ly; doubt; doubt·ful; doubt·less; mis·doubt; re·doubt;… …   English syllables

  • doubt — I (indecision) noun ambiguity, anxiety, apprehension, apprehensiveness, confusion, dubitatio, dubito, faltering, feeling of uncertainty, hesitancy, improbability, inability to decide, incertitude, indefiniteness, indeterminateness,… …   Law dictionary

  • Doubt — Doubt, n. [OE. dute, doute, F. doute, fr. douter to doubt. See {Doubt}, v. i.] 1. A fluctuation of mind arising from defect of knowledge or evidence; uncertainty of judgment or mind; unsettled state of opinion concerning the reality of an event,… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Doubt — Doubt, v. t. 1. To question or hold questionable; to withhold assent to; to hesitate to believe, or to be inclined not to believe; to withhold confidence from; to distrust; as, I have heard the story, but I doubt the truth of it. [1913 Webster]… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • doubt — verb. 1. I doubt whether he ll come and I doubt if he ll come are the standard constructions when doubt is used in the affirmative to mean ‘think it unlikely’. When doubt is used in the negative to mean ‘think it likely’, a that clause is normal …   Modern English usage

  • doubt — (v.) early 13c., to dread, fear, from O.Fr. doter doubt, be doubtful; be afraid, from L. dubitare to doubt, question, hesitate, waver in opinion (related to dubius uncertain; see DUBIOUS (Cf. dubious)), originally to have to choose between two… …   Etymology dictionary

  • doubt — [dout] vi. [ME douten < OFr douter < L dubitare, to waver in opinion < dubius, DUBIOUS; b reintroduced, after L, in 16th c.] 1. to be uncertain in opinion or belief; be undecided 2. to be inclined to disbelief 3. Archaic to hesitate vt.… …   English World dictionary

  • Doubt — (dout), v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Doubted}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Doubting}.] [OE. duten, douten, OF. duter, doter, douter, F. douter, fr. L. dubitare; akin to dubius doubtful. See {Dubious}.] 1. To waver in opinion or judgment; to be in uncertainty as to… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • doubt — ► NOUN ▪ a feeling of uncertainty. ► VERB 1) feel uncertain about. 2) question the truth of. ● no doubt Cf. ↑no doubt DERIVATIVES doubter …   English terms dictionary

  • doubt — [n] lack of faith, conviction; questioning agnosticism, ambiguity, apprehension, confusion, demurral, difficulty, diffidence, dilemma, disbelief, discredit, disquiet, distrust, dubiety, dubiousness, faithlessness, faltering, fear, hesitancy,… …   New thesaurus

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