| Main Entry: | problematical |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | ambiguous |
Synonyms: |
at issue, borderline, chancy, clear as dishwater, clouded, cryptic, doubtful, dubious, dubitable, enigmatic, enigmatical, equivocal, in doubt, in question, inconclusive, indecisive, indefinite, indeterminate, inexplicit, muddy, obscure, opaque, problematic, puzzling, questionable, tenebrous, uncertain, unclear, unintelligible, unsure, vague |
| Main Entry: | problematical |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | debatable |
Synonyms: |
arguable, between rock and hard place, between sixes and sevens, betwixt and between, bone of contention, borderline, chancy, contestable, contested, disputable, doubtful, dubious, exceptionable, iffy, in dispute, moot, mootable, open to question, problematic, questionable, the jury's out, touch and go, uncertain, undecided, unsettled, up for discussion |
| Main Entry: | chancy |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | dangerous, risky |
Synonyms: |
capricious, contingent, dicey, erratic, fluctuant, fluky, hazardous, iffy, incalculable, precarious, problematic, problematical, rocky, speculative, ticklish, touchy, tricky, uncertain, unpredictable, unsound, whimsical |
Antonyms: |
certain, not dangerous, safe, secure, sure, tried |
| Main Entry: | debatable |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | controversial |
Synonyms: |
arguable, between rock and hard place, between sixes and sevens, betwixt and between, bone of contention, borderline, chancy, contestable, disputable, doubtful, dubious, iffy, in dispute, moot, mootable, open to question, problematic, problematical, questionable, the jury's out, touch and go, uncertain, undecided, unsettled, up for discussion |
Antonyms: |
certain, inarguable, incontrovertible, indubious, questionable, sure, uncontestable, undoubted |
| Main Entry: | difficult |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | complicated; hard to comprehend |
Synonyms: |
abstract, abstruse, baffling, bewildering, complex, confounding, confusing, dark, deep, delicate, enigmatic, enigmatical, entangled, esoteric, formidable, hard to explain, hard to solve, hidden, inexplicable, intricate, involved, knotty, labyrinthine, loose, meandering, mysterious, mystical, mystifying, nice, obscure, obstinate, paradoxical, perplexing, problematical, profound, puzzling, rambling, subtle, tangled, thorny, ticklish, troublesome, unclear, unfathomable, unintelligible, vexing |
Antonyms: |
easy, simple, straightforward, uncomplicated |
| Main Entry: | dubious |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | vague, unclear |
Synonyms: |
ambiguous, debatable, disinclined, doubtful, equivocal, indefinite, indeterminate, mistrustful, obscure, open, problematic, problematical, undecided, unsettled |
| Notes: | a person is capable of doubting, whereas a thing is dubitable; dubious, unlike doubtful, carries the connotation of suspicion |
Antonyms: |
certain, clear, definite, unambiguous, unobscure |
| Main Entry: | knotty |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | troublesome |
Synonyms: |
Gordian, baffling, complex, complicated, difficult, effortful, elaborate, formidable, hard, intricate, involved, labyrinthine, mazy, mystifying, nodulous, perplexing, problematical, puzzling, ramified, reticular, rough, rugged, sophisticated, sticky*, terrible, thorny, tough, tricky, uphill |
Antonyms: |
simple, uncomplicated, untroublesome |
| Main Entry: | problematic |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | open to doubt |
Synonyms: |
ambiguous, arguable, chancy, debatable, disputable, doubtful, dubious, dubitable, enigmatic, iffy, indecisive, moot, open, precarious, problematical, puzzling, questionable, suspect, tricky, uncertain, unsettled, up for grabs |
Antonyms: |
certain, fixable, settled, solvable, sure |
| Main Entry: | questionable |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | doubtful, uncertain |
Synonyms: |
ambiguous, apocryphal, arguable, contingent, controversial, controvertible, cryptic, debatable, disputable, dubious, dubitable, enigmatic, equivocal, fishy, hard to believe, hypothetical, iffy, indecisive, indefinite, indeterminate, moot, mysterious, obscure, occult, open to doubt, open to question, oracular, paradoxical, problematic, problematical, provisional, shady, suspect, suspicious, unconfirmed, undefined, under advisement, under examination, unproven, unreliable, unsettled, vague |
Antonyms: |
certain, definite, indisputable, proven, sure, undoubted, unquestionable |
| Main Entry: | theoretical |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | hypothetical |
Synonyms: |
abstract, academic, analytical, as a premise, assumed, codified, conjectural, contingent, formalistic, formularized, general, ideal, idealized, ideational, ideological, imaginative, impractical, in the abstract, in theory, instanced, intellectual, logical, metaphysical, notional, on paper, pedantic, philosophical, postulated, presumed, problematical, pure, quixotic, speculative, suppositional, tentative, transcendent, transcendental, unearthly, unproved, unsubstantiated, vague |
Antonyms: |
certain, definite, factual, proven, real |