doubt
n. C / Un. a feeling of uncertainty about something. You have a doubt when you are not sure if something is true, right, or possible.
n. a feeling of uncertainty or a lack of conviction. It is uncountable when referring to the general state of uncertainty, but countable when referring to a specific point of uncertainty.
I have some doubts about his plan.
The detective expressed doubt about the witness's testimony after finding contradictions in the timeline.
In an age of information overload, healthy skepticism is essential, but it must not curdle into a corrosive doubt that paralyzes all action and belief.
Etymology tree Latin dubō Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti Proto-Italic *-āō Latin -ō Latin -tō Latin -itō Latin dubitō Old French doterbor. Middle English douten ▲ Old French doter Old French doutebor. Middle English doute ▲ English dubiousinflu. ▲ Latin dubitōinflu. English doubt The verb is derived from Middle English douten (“to doubt, fear, worry”) [and other forms], from Old French douter, doter, duter (compare Middle French doubter), from Latin dubitāre (“to be uncertain, doubt; to hesitate, waver in coming to an opinion; to consider, ponder”); the further etymology is uncertain, but one theory is that dubitō may be derived from dubius (“fluctuating, wavering; doubtful, dubious, uncertain”), from duhibius (“held as two”), from duo (“two”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European dwóh₁ (“two”)) + habeō (“to have, hold”) (possibly ultimately from Proto-Indo-European gʰeh₁bʰ- (“to grab, take”)). Spelling reformers of the early modern period added the letter b to reflect the Latin root dubitō, but it has never been pronounced in English. The noun is derived from Middle English dout, doute (“uncertainty, hesitation; questionable point; anxiety, fear, reverence”) [and other forms], from Old French doute, dote, dute (“uncertain feeling, doubt”), from doter, douter, duter (“to doubt, fear”) (compare Middle French doubter; modern French douter (“to doubt, suspect”)); see further etymology above. Displaced Old English twēo (“doubt”) and twēoġan (“to doubt”).
Often followed by the preposition 'about' or a 'that'-clause (e.g., 'doubt that he will come'). The fixed phrase 'no doubt' is a common high-frequency construction.
I am doubt about it.I am doubtful about it.Learners often confuse the noun 'doubt' with the adjective 'doubtful'. Use 'have doubt(s)' for the noun or 'be doubtful' for the adjective.