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

Example Sentences

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Recent Examples of problematic Trump and his supporters often point out, correctly, that tariffs during his first term did not cause problematic inflation. —

Matt Egan, CNN, 2 Feb. 2025 Potential solutions The Cochrane Collaboration has a policy excluding suspect studies from its analyses of medical evidence and is developing a tool to spot problematic medical trials. —

Ars Technica, 31 Jan. 2025 Additionally, Trump is largely unconcerned with Modi’s policies, which have been deemed problematic by many global leaders. —

Kyra Colah, Fox News, 29 Jan. 2025 The organization also has been developing a tool to help its reviewers spot problematic medical trials, just as publishers have begun to screen submissions and share data and technologies among themselves to combat fraud. —

Guillaume Cabanac, The Conversation, 29 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for problematic

Recent Examples of Synonyms for problematic

Adjective

Nevertheless, the offer could make OpenAI’s reorganization plans more difficult – and significantly more expensive.

— David Goldman, CNN, 11 Feb. 2025
Whooping cough can initially be difficult to separate from other cold-causing germs that surge over the colder months.

— Alexander Tin, CBS News, 11 Feb. 2025