Doubtful vs Doubtless - What's the difference?
doubtful | doubtless |
Subject to, or causing doubt
or showing doubt, sceptical
Undecided or of uncertain outcome
(obsolete) Fearsome, dreadful.
*, Bk.XIV, Ch.vii:
*:‘With whom,’ seyde Sir Percivale, ‘shall I fyght?’ ‘With the moste douteful champion of the worlde.’
Improbable or unlikely
Suspicious, or of dubious character
Unclear or unreliable
*{{quote-book, year=1922, author=E.R. Eddison, title=The Worm Ouroboros
, passage=The pupils of her great eyes were large in the doubtful lamplight, swallowing their green fires in deep pools of mystery and darkness.}}
Characterized by or experiencing no doubt at all, certain; undoubted; undoubting.
* 1880 , B. Stewart and P. G. Tait, The Unseen Universe , Macmillan (London), p. xiii:
* 1927 , , The Outlaw of Torn , ch. 7:
(obsolete) Free from fear or suspicion.
* Shakespeare
Without doubt; very probably, in all likelihood; doubtlessly.
* 1893 , , "The Realm Of The Unreal":
* 1900 , , (The Wonderful Wizard of Oz):
In obsolete terms the difference between doubtful and doubtless
is that doubtful is fearsome, dreadful while doubtless is free from fear or suspicion.As adjectives the difference between doubtful and doubtless
is that doubtful is subject to, or causing doubt while doubtless is characterized by or experiencing no doubt at all, certain; undoubted; undoubting.As an adverb doubtless is
without doubt; very probably, in all likelihood; doubtlessly.doubtful
English
Alternative forms
* doubtfull (archaic)Adjective
(en adjective)doubtless
English
Adjective
(-)- There are those who have doubtless faith in revelation.
- It is doubtless that the old reprobate who sued for his daughter's hand heard some unsavory truths from the man.
- Pretty child, sleep doubtless and secure.
Derived terms
* doubtlessnessAdverb
(-)- I cannot remember that I spoke a word, though doubtless I did.
- The men, Dorothy thought, were about as old as Uncle Henry, for two of them had beards. But the little woman was doubtless much older. Her face was covered with wrinkles, her hair was nearly white, and she walked rather stiffly.
