questionable
adjective
Simple meaning
Problematic; open to doubt or challenge.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
kwehschuhnuhbuhlSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ˈkwɛstʃənəbəl
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
adjective
Problematic; open to doubt or challenge.
Of dubious respectability or morality.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Frequency
- Moderately Common
- Typical Use
- Neutral / general English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: Problematic; open to doubt or challenge.
Used this way, questionable is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- No strong connotation
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use questionable
- “Questionable motives.”adjective
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Similar Words, What’s the Difference?
Close in meaning, but not always interchangeable.
Not settled, uncertain, of uncertain outcome.
Subject to, or causing doubt.
Arousing doubt; questionable; open to suspicion.
More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
Synonyms
Sense: problematic
Antonyms
Sense: problematic
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