doubt
Language: English
Part of speech: verb
Pronunciation: enpr: dout
ipa: /daʊt/
ipa: /dʌʊt/
rhymes: -aʊt
homophone: dought
Forms: form: doubts
form: doubting
form: doubted
form: doubted
Etymology: Etymology tree
Latin dubō
Latin -itō
Latin dubitō
Old French doterbor.
Middle English douten
Old French doter
Old French doutebor.
Middle English doute
Latin dubiusbor.
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”).
Senses: examples: text: He doubted that was really what you meant.
text: I had no wish to go, though I doubt if they would have noticed me even if I had.
text: Ther be but two wayes onely. The one whiche by followyng the affections ledeth to perdicion. The other whyche throughe the mortifyenge of the fleſhe: ledeth to lyfe, why doubteſt thou in thy ſelf: There is no thyrde way.
ref: [1552?], Erasmus of Roterdame, “The Seconde Rule. Capitulo x.”, in [William Tyndale], transl., Enchiridion Militis Christiani, which maye be Called in Englishe, the Hansome Weapon of a Christian Knight, […], imprinted at London: […] [B]y [J. Day (?) for] Abraham Ueale, →OCLC:
text: For they be not termed Eclogues, but Æglogues, vvhich ſentence this authour very vvell obſeruing, vpon good iudgement, though indeede fevv Goteheards haue to doe herein, netheleſſe doubteth not to cal thẽ by the vſed and beſt knovven name.
ref: 1579, Immeritô [pseudonym; Edmund Spenser], “The Generall Argument of the Whole Booke”, in The Shepheardes Calender: […], London: […] Hugh Singleton, […], →OCLC:
text: And as for that faith, vvhich is vvithout vvorkes, and yet ſeemeth to thes men to be ſufficient for their ſaluation; he proteſteth, that it is ſo vnprofitable, as he doubteth not to ſaye of hymſelf; [...]
ref: 1585 September 9, “How a Man may Ivdge or Discerne of Him Self, vvhether He be a True Christian or Not. […]”, in A Christian Directorie Gviding Men to Their Salvation. Devided into Three Bookes. […], [Rouen]: [s.n.], →OCLC, pages 316–317:
text: For never (I thinke) was there any woman, that with more unremovable determinatiõ gave her selfe to the coũcell of Love, after she had once set before her mind the worthines of your cousin Amphialus; & yet is nether her wisdome doubted of, nor honour blemished.
ref: c. 1580 (date written), Philippe Sidnei [i.e., Philip Sidney], “(please specify the folio)”, in [Fulke Greville; Matthew Gwinne; John Florio], editors, The Countesse of Pembrokes Arcadia [The New Arcadia], London: […] [John Windet] for William Ponsonbie, published 1590, →OCLC:
english: The New Arcadia
translation: The New Arcadia
text: Now it is not required nor can be exacted at our hands, that we ſhould yeeld vnto any thing other aſſent, then ſuch as doth anſwer the euidence which is to be had of that wee aſſent to. For which cauſe euen in matters diuine, concerning ſome things we may lawfully doubt and ſuſpend our iudgement, inclining neyther to one ſide or other, [...]
ref: 1594, Richard Hooker, “The Second Booke. Concerning Their First Position who Vrge Reformation in the Church of England: Namely, that Scripture is the Only Rule of All Things which in this Life may be Done by Men.”, in Of the Lawes of Ecclesiastical Politie, Eight Bookes, London: Printed by William Stansbye, published 1622, →OCLC, page 73:
text: He that will enter in muſt firſt without / Stand knocking at the Gate, nor need he doubt / That is a knocker but to enter in; / For God can love him, and forgive his ſin.
ref: 1678, John Bunyan, The Pilgrim’s Progress from This World, to That which is to Come: […], London: […] Nath[aniel] Ponder […], →OCLC; reprinted in The Pilgrim’s Progress as Originally Published by John Bunyan: Being a Fac-simile Reproduction of the First Edition, London: Elliot Stock […], 1875, →OCLC, page 33:
text: Have I not manag'd my contrivance well, / To try your Love and make you doubt of mine?
ref: 1681, John Dryden, The Spanish Fryar: Or, the Double Discovery. […], London: […] Richard Tonson and Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC, Act III, page 39:
text: As to the efficacy of such legislation and taxation a word may be said. No one doubts that it is possible, by the employment of such methods, to make the rich poorer. [...] But the really important question—for all serious-minded inquirers—is whether the employment of these weapons will diminish the poverty or increase the prosperity of the relatively poor.
ref: 1913 June, J[ohn] A[rthur] R[ansome] Marriott, “The Problem of Poverty”, in The Nineteenth Century and After: A Monthly Review, volume LXXIII, number CCCCXXXVI, New York, N.Y.: Leonard Scott Publication Co.; London: Spottiswoode & Co. Ltd., printers, →OCLC, section III, page 1262:
text: And thus no longer trusting to His might, / Who saith we "walk by faith and not by sight," / Doubting, and almost yielding to despair, / The thought arose—My cross I cannot bear.
ref: 1915, [Gertrude Antoinette Woodcock Seibert], “The Changed Cross”, in Poems of Dawn, New York, N.Y.; London: Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society, →OCLC, page 170:
text: "Your philosophy is very pretty," Tom Douty said slowly, "but I can't help doubting that this is not the right time to start the new business."
ref: 1921 August, Howard P. Rockey, “The Doubting Thomas”, in Orison Swett Marden, editor, The New Success: Marden’s Magazine: A Magazine of Optimism, Self-help and Encouragement, volume V, number 8, New York, N.Y.: Lowrey-Marden Corporation, →OCLC, part I, page 76, column 2:
text: [B]oth colonisers and colonised lost faith in the colonisers' vision of the future. Europeans doubted whether their aims were attainable; Africans doubted whether they were desirable.
ref: 1979, John Iliffe, “The Crisis of Colonial Society, 1929–45”, in A Modern History of Tanganyika (African Studies Series; 25), Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: Cambridge University Press, published 1994, →ISBN, page 342:
text: In one study, 60% of Black students believed that their academic abilities were doubted by their White peers, and 60% felt that their White professors doubted them as well.
ref: 2011, Kent Koppelman, “Diversity and Discrimination: The Argument over Affirmative Action”, in The Great Diversity Debate: Embracing Pluralism in School and Society, New York, N.Y.: Teachers College Press, →ISBN, page 99:
text: We may doubt the just proportion of good to ill.
There is much in nature against us. But we forget:
Take nature altogether since time began,
Including human nature, in peace and war,
And it must be a little more in favor of man,[…]
ref: 2020 May 15, Robert Frost, Delphi Complete Works of Robert Frost (Illustrated) (Delphi Poets Series), Delphi Classics, →ISBN, →OCLC:
synonyms: distrust
mistrust
glosses: To be undecided about; to lack confidence in; to disbelieve, to question.
examples: text: I walk by the Rule of my Maſter, you walk by the rude working of your fancies. You are counted thieves already, by the Lord of the way; therefore, I doubt you will not be found true men at the end of the way.
ref: 1678, John Bunyan, The Pilgrim’s Progress from This World, to That which is to Come: […], London: […] Nath[aniel] Ponder […], →OCLC, page 40:
text: Rushing to the door of the church, [Robert the] Bruce met two powerful barons, [Roger de] Kirkpatrick of Closeburn, and James de Lindsay, who eagerly asked him what tidings? "Bad tidings," answered Bruce, "I doubt I have slain [John] Comyn." "Doubtest thou?" said Kirkpatrick, "I make sicker" (i.e. sure.) With these words, he and Lindsay rushed into the church, and dispatched the wounded Comyn.
ref: 1815, Walter Scott, “Notes to Canto Second”, in The Lord of the Isles, a Poem, Edinburgh: […] [F]or Archibald Constable and Co. […]; London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown; by James Ballantyne and Co., […], →OCLC, note VIII, page xlviii:
qualifier: archaic outside Scotland
glosses: To harbour suspicion about; suspect.
examples: text: The rest of his horsemen the Duke sent to his campe, bicause they heard a great noise there, and doubted the enimies sally, and indeede they had issued foorth thrise, but were alwaies repulsed, especially through the valiantns of the English men that the Duke left there behind him [...]
ref: 1596, Philippe de Commynes, The historie of Philip de Commines Knight, Lord of Argenton, London: Ar. Hatfield, pages 50-51:
text: Fear naught—nay, that I need not say— / But—doubt not aught from mine array. / Thou art my guest;—I pledged my word / As far as Coilantogle ford: [...]
ref: 1810, Walter Scott, “Canto V. The Combat.”, in The Lady of the Lake; […], Edinburgh: […] [James Ballantyne and Co.] for John Ballantyne and Co.; London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, and Orme, and William Miller, →OCLC, stanza XI, page 196:
glosses: To anticipate with dread or fear; to apprehend.
examples: text: I'll tell ye all my fears, one ſingle valour, / the vertues of the valiant Caratach / more doubts me then all Britain: [...]
ref: c. 1613 (first performance), John Fletcher, “The Tragedie of Bonduca”, in Comedies and Tragedies […], London: […] Humphrey Robinson, […], and for Humphrey Moseley […], published 1647, →OCLC, Act I, scene ii, page 51, column 1:
glosses: To fill with fear; to affright.
examples: text: Edmond aþelstones broþer · after him was king · / Godmon & doutede · god þoru alle þing ·
ref: [1297, Robert of Gloucester, “Edmond”, in William Aldis Wright, editor, The Metrical Chronicle of Robert of Gloucester. […] (Rerum Britannicarum Medii Aevi Scriptores; no. 86), part I (in Middle English), London: Printed for Her Majesty’s Stationery Office, by Eyre and Spottiswoode, […], published 1887, →OCLC, page 408:
english: Edmund, Æthelstan's brother · / after him was king · / [He was a] good man and feared · God through all things ·
translation: Edmund, Æthelstan's brother · / after him was king · / [He was a] good man and feared · God through all things ·
bold_translation_offsets: 79
85
text: Whilome in youth, when flowred my ioyfull ſpring, / Like ſwallow ſwift I wandred here and there: / For heat of heedleſſe luſt me ſo did ſting, / That I of doubted daunger had no feare.
ref: 1579, Immeritô [pseudonym; Edmund Spenser], “December. Ægloga Duodecima.”, in The Shepheardes Calender: […], London: […] Iohn Wolfe for Iohn Harrison the yonger, […], →OCLC, folio 49, recto:
text: Well, all's not well. I doubt some foule play, [...]
ref: c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shake-speare, The Tragicall Historie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke: […] (First Quarto), London: […] [Valentine Simmes] for N[icholas] L[ing] and Iohn Trundell, published 1603, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii]:
text: [H]ow many good Christians are there, who consider themselves the beloved of Christ & the invariable followers of his gospel, who with all his precepts in their mind go to Africa, wrest the mother from the infant—the father from the wife—chain them to the whip & lash, they & their posterity for ever, nay hold this scourge in their own hand & inflict it with all the gout of their abominable appetites, & who do not doubt that they are violating the whole doctrine of the author of their religion—To what absurdities may not the human mind bring itself when this can be thought by them less offensive to God, than eating meat on a friday?—
ref: 1798 February 27, William Short, “From William Short, 27 February [letter to Thomas Jefferson]”, in Barbara B. Oberg, editor, The Papers of Thomas Jefferson, volume 30 (1 January 1798 to 31 January 1799), Princeton, N.J.; Woodstock, Oxfordshire: Princeton University Press, published 2003, →ISBN, page 152:
text: At last, as they more faintly wrestling lay, / Juan contrived to give an awkward blow, / And then his only garment quite gave way; / He fled, like Joseph, leaving it; but there, / I doubt, all likeness ends between the pair.
ref: 1819 July 15, [Lord Byron], Don Juan, London: […] Thomas Davison, […], →OCLC, canto I, stanza CLXXXVI, page 96:
text: I shall never know whether they got at the truth o' the robbery, nor whether Mr Paston could ha' given me any light about the drawing o' the lots. It's dark to me, Mrs Winthrop, that is; I doubt it'll be dark to the last.
ref: 1861, George Eliot [pseudonym; Mary Ann Evans], chapter XXI, in Silas Marner: The Weaver of Raveloe, Edinburgh; London: William Blackwood and Sons, →OCLC, part II, page 357:
glosses: To dread, to fear.
Derived terms: doubtable
doubter
doubting
doubtingly
doubting Thomas
doubting Thomasina
I doubt it
undoubted
undoubtedly
undoubting
undoubtingly
Related terms: dubiety
dubious