questionable
gb/kwˈɛst͡ʃənəbəl/ us/kwˈɛst͡ʃənəbəl/
B2
English
~ 6900
kétes, kifogásolható, megkérdőjelezhető, kétséges, vitatható
B2
1
Usage pattern:
questionable [behavior/decision/practice]
The company was criticized for its questionable marketing practices aimed at children.
A vállalatot bírálták a gyerekeket célzó, etikailag kifogásolható marketinggyakorlatai miatt.
He has a history of questionable business deals that never seem fully transparent.
Számos kétes üzleti ügylet fűződik a nevéhez, amelyek sosem tűnnek teljesen átláthatónak.
Many voters see the politician’s close ties to the industry as highly questionable.
The charity’s use of donations was called morally questionable by watchdog groups.
Her decision to lie to the client was at best questionable and at worst clearly wrong.
Learner examples
The boss was fired because of his questionable behavior at work.
A főnököt a munkahelyen tanúsított kifogásolható viselkedése miatt rúgták ki.
They made a questionable decision that hurt many people.
Olyan, erkölcsileg megkérdőjelezhető döntést hoztak, amely sok embernek ártott.
Some people think animal testing is morally questionable.
The company has a questionable way of treating its workers.
His friendship with the criminal seems very questionable.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use 'questionable' to mean that something simply has questions about it, instead of that it is likely wrong or suspicious. In moral contexts, 'questionable' usually implies negative judgment, not neutral curiosity.
Meaning
morally or ethically doubtful
Collocations
questionable behavior
|questionable decisions
|questionable practices
|morally questionable
|ethically questionable
|of questionable morality
Synonyms
dubious (Often suggests something that seems dishonest or not completely moral, slightly more formal than 'questionable'.)
Antonyms
ethical (Describes actions that are clearly right and acceptable according to moral rules, the opposite of morally questionable.)
Themes
ethics
|judgment
|society
|core_vocabulary
|relationships
Definition
Not clearly right or good in a moral way, and making people feel worried or suspicious.
Morally or ethically wrong, or likely to be wrong, so that it causes concern or suspicion.
B2
2
Usage pattern:
questionable [claim/result/legality]
The study’s findings are based on questionable data from an online survey.
A tanulmány eredményei egy online felmérésből származó, megkérdőjelezhető adatokon alapulnak.
His explanation for being late is at best questionable and lacks details.
A késésére adott magyarázata legjobb esetben is kétséges, és kevés részletet tartalmaz.
The contract’s legality is questionable and may not hold up in court.
They won the game under questionable circumstances after a referee error.
The website makes questionable claims about miracle health cures.
Learner examples
The numbers in this report are questionable.
A jelentésben szereplő számok megkérdőjelezhetők.
Her story about the accident sounds questionable.
A balesetről szóló története gyanúsan hangzik.
Some experts say the results of the test are questionable.
The company used questionable methods to get this information.
The legality of the new rule is still questionable.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use 'questionable' where 'questioned' or 'in question' is better. For example, say 'the data is questionable' (meaning its quality is doubtful), not '*the data is questioned' when you want to stress that it may not be true.
Meaning
doubtful in truth or validity
Collocations
questionable claim
|questionable evidence
|questionable statistics
|questionable result
|questionable conclusion
|questionable legality
Synonyms
doubtful (Very close in meaning; 'doubtful' can sound slightly more neutral, while 'questionable' often suggests that reasons to doubt are stronger.)
Antonyms
certain (Indicates that something is definitely true or correct, the opposite of being open to doubt.)
Themes
knowledge
|judgment
|law
|core_vocabulary
|communication
Definition
Not clearly true, correct, or right; people can easily doubt it.
Open to doubt or disagreement because its truth, accuracy, or correctness is uncertain.
B2
3
kétes
B2
Usage pattern:
questionable [quality/taste/reliability]
The restaurant’s food is tasty, but the hygiene standards are questionable.
Az étterem ételei finomak, de a higiéniai színvonal kifogásolható.
He has a talent for buying cars of questionable reliability.
Különös érzéke van ahhoz, hogy kétes megbízhatóságú autókat vegyen.
The movie is entertaining, though some would say it is in questionable taste.
They paid a high price for artwork of questionable quality.
Her outfit, while bold, is of questionable taste for a job interview.
Learner examples
The hotel looked clean, but the beds were of questionable quality.
A hotel tisztának tűnt, de az ágyak minősége kifogásolható volt.
That joke is funny but in questionable taste.
Az a vicc vicces, de kétes ízlésre vall.
We bought a cheap phone with questionable battery life.
The safety of this old bridge is questionable.
He has a questionable sense of style.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse 'questionable' with 'unusual'. Something unusual is just different, but something 'questionable' usually suggests it may be bad, low quality, or not appropriate.
Meaning
of poor or suspect quality
Collocations
questionable quality
|questionable taste
|questionable design
|questionable reliability
|of questionable taste
|of questionable value
Synonyms
iffy (Informal; often used in speech to describe something that seems not very good or reliable, similar in meaning but more casual than 'questionable'.)
Antonyms
excellent (Describes very high quality, the opposite of low or suspect quality.)
Themes
evaluation
|daily life
|art
|core_vocabulary
|daily_life
Definition
Not very good in quality, style, or safety; people are not sure it is okay.
Of low or uncertain quality, standard, or taste, so that it may not be good, safe, or appropriate.
Grammar
Dictionary form
questionable
IPA
GB/kwˈɛst͡ʃənəbəl/
US/kwˈɛst͡ʃənəbəl/
Syllables & stress
ques - tion - able (3 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (ques)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: questionable
Word family
Core family
question
noun A1
questionably
adverb
Related words
questionnaire
noun B2
questioner
noun
Negative and opposite forms
unquestionable
adjective
unquestionably
adverb
Advanced or less common
questionability
noun
Expressions
ethically questionable
1/ˈɛθɪkəli kwˈɛst͡ʃənəbəl/
fixed phrase
possibly against ethical standards
Used to say that something may go against accepted rules of good behavior in a job or field.
Examples
- Sharing patient information without consent is ethically questionable.
- The journalist refused to use sources in an ethically questionable way.
ethically questionable
1/ˈɛθɪkəli kwˈɛst͡ʃənəbəl/
fixed phrase
formal
possibly morally wrong
maybe wrong in a moral way
Examples
- It’s ethically questionable to advertise weight-loss products to teenagers.
- Using customer data without clear consent is ethically questionable.
- They avoided tactics that were legal but ethically questionable.
Learner examples
- That choice is ethically questionable.
of questionable legality
2/əv kwˈɛst͡ʃənəbəl liɡˈæləti/
fixed phrase
possibly not legal
Used to say that something may not be allowed by law, or that its legal status is not clear.
Examples
- The agreement is of questionable legality and could be challenged in court.
- Some experts say the government’s actions are of questionable legality under the constitution.
of questionable taste
3/əv kwˈɛst͡ʃənəbəl tˈeɪst/
fixed phrase
possibly inappropriate in style or taste
Used to say that something (like a joke, clothes, or art) may not be polite, stylish, or acceptable to many people.
Examples
- The comedian is known for jokes that are clever but often of questionable taste.
- Some people thought the advertisement was of questionable taste and should be removed.
of questionable value
4/əv kwˈɛst͡ʃənəbəl vˈælju/
fixed phrase
possibly not worth much
Used to say that something may not be very useful, helpful, or worth the cost or effort.
Examples
- The training course was expensive and of questionable value to most employees.
- Many experts see these new taxes as of questionable value to the economy.
morally questionable
1/mˈɔɹəli kwˈɛst͡ʃənəbəl/
fixed phrase
ethically doubtful or suspect
Not clearly right or wrong, but making people think it may be wrong in a moral way.
Examples
- Even if it is legal, their use of customer data is morally questionable.
- Their use of personal data was seen as morally questionable.
- The experiment was stopped because it was seen as morally questionable.
- He made a lot of money in a morally questionable way.
- The project raises some morally questionable issues.