PROBLEMATIC Synonyms: 99 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the adjective 'problematic' contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of problematic are doubtful , dubious , and questionable . While all these words mean "not affording assurance of the worth, soundness, or certainty of something," problematic applies especially to things whose existence, meaning, fulfillment, or realization is highly uncertain. // whether the project will ever be finished is problematic

Q: When might 'doubtful' be a better fit than 'problematic'?

The words doubtful and problematic are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, doubtful implies little more than a lack of conviction or certainty. // doubtful about whether I said the right thing

Q: When can 'dubious' be used instead of 'problematic'?

The synonyms dubious and problematic are sometimes interchangeable, but dubious stresses suspicion, mistrust, or hesitation. // dubious about the practicality of the scheme

Q: When is it sensible to use 'questionable' instead of 'problematic'?

While the synonyms questionable and problematic are close in meaning, questionable may imply no more than the existence of doubt but usually suggests that the suspicions are well-grounded. // a man of questionable honesty

problematic

adjective

ˌprä-blə-ˈma-tik

variants also problematical

Definition of problematic next

as in difficult

requiring exceptional skill or caution in performance or handling the problematic situation of somehow having two dates for the same party

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in questionable

giving good reason for being doubted, questioned, or challenged whether we should even bother finishing the project at this point is problematic

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective problematic contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of problematic are doubtful, dubious, and questionable. While all these words mean "not affording assurance of the worth, soundness, or certainty of something," problematic applies especially to things whose existence, meaning, fulfillment, or realization is highly uncertain.

whether the project will ever be finished is problematic

When might doubtful be a better fit than problematic?

The words doubtful and problematic are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, doubtful implies little more than a lack of conviction or certainty.

doubtful about whether I said the right thing

When can dubious be used instead of problematic?

The synonyms dubious and problematic are sometimes interchangeable, but dubious stresses suspicion, mistrust, or hesitation.

dubious about the practicality of the scheme

When is it sensible to use questionable instead of problematic?

While the synonyms questionable and problematic are close in meaning, questionable may imply no more than the existence of doubt but usually suggests that the suspicions are well-grounded.

a man of questionable honesty

Examples Sentences

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Recent Examples of problematic And then on the legislative side, of course, these bills have a very important goal, which is to reduce this very, very problematic use of this technology. —

Dana Taylor, USA TODAY, 31 Oct. 2024 Tips also create problematic dynamics for women, who represent approximately two-thirds of all tipped workers according to some calculations. —

Nina Turner, Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2024 Bacteremia: This is the spread of pneumonia-causing bacteria to the bloodstream, which can become particularly problematic. —

Mark Gurarie, Verywell Health, 30 Oct. 2024 The apparent absence of that record could prove problematic for Shelton. —

Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 27 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for problematic

Recent Examples of Synonyms for problematic

Adjective

The melodic lines, particularly for brass, are very difficult to navigate.

Andrew Gilbert, The Mercury News, 13 Nov. 2024
High frequencies are more difficult to block out than other tones, as high-end noise-cancelling headphones from Apple, Bose, and Sony perform similarly.

PCMAG, PCMAG, 12 Nov. 2024