doubt
pronunciation
How to pronounce doubt in British English:
UK [daʊt]
How to pronounce doubt in American English:
US [daʊt]
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- Noun:
- the state of being unsure of something
- uncertainty about the truth or factuality of existence of something
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- Verb:
- consider unlikely or have doubts about
- lack confidence in or have doubts about
Word Origin
- doubt
- doubt: [13] English acquired the verb doubt from Old French doter or duter, a descendant of Latin dubitāre ‘waver, be uncertain’ (the b was reintroduced from the Latin spelling in the 15th century). Dubitāre was closely related to Latin dubius ‘uncertain’ (ultimate source of English dubious [16]), which appears to have been based on duo ‘two’, and thus to have meant originally ‘wavering between two possibilities’. In Old French, the sense ‘fear’ developed, and this was an important meaning of the word in Middle English; it survives in the derivative redoubtable [14], literally ‘fearable’.=> dubious, redoubtable
- doubt (v.)
- early 13c., "to dread, fear," from Old French doter "doubt, be doubtful; be afraid," from Latin dubitare "to doubt, question, hesitate, waver in opinion" (related to dubius "uncertain;" see dubious), originally "to have to choose between two things." The sense of "fear" developed in Old French and was passed on to English. Meaning "to be uncertain" is attested in English from c. 1300. The -b- was restored 14c. by scribes in imitation of Latin. Replaced Old English tweogan (noun twynung), from tweon "two," on notion of "of two minds" or the choice of two implied in Latin dubitare (compare German Zweifel "doubt," from zwei "two").
- doubt (n.)
- early 13c., from Old French dote (11c.) "fear, dread; doubt," from doter (see doubt (v.)).
Example
- 1. That remains very much in doubt .
- 2. No doubt this will be cleared up soon .
- 3. Without a doubt , factory farming is bad news .
- 4. It would be irresponsible to let this doubt spread .
- 5. I doubt any of us consciously thinks about these choices as we make them .