problematic
1 of 2adjective
problematic
2 of 2noun
Synonyms
Adjective
- catchy
- delicate
- difficult
- dodgy [chiefly British]
- hairy
- knotty
- nasty
- prickly
- sensitive
- spiny
- sticky
- thorny
- ticklish
- touchy
- tough
- tricksy
- tricky
Example Sentences
Abc News, ABC News, 16 Sep. 2022 Anything that fell short of that qualification would have been problematic. Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, 13 Sep. 2022 The scoreboard side of the end zone has been problematic. Tom Green | Tgreen@al.com, al, 13 Sep. 2022 Some scientists have considered auction or private ownership of dinosaur skeletons like Zephyr to be problematic, while others also acknowledge that museum collecting has historically included acquisitions from commercial sources. Kristen Rogers, CNN, 12 Sep. 2022 Given Bukele’s autocratic tendencies, such centralized control could be problematic. Leo Schwartz, Fortune, 8 Sep. 2022 Republicans say the pledge is problematic given that DHS, through the Federal Emergency Management Agency, has given the Virgin Islands $5 billion since 2017 to rebuild its electrical grid. Haris Alic, Fox News, 8 Sep. 2022 The state’s shift to a warmer, drier climate also is problematic. Paighten Harkins, The Salt Lake Tribune, 8 Sep. 2022 Finding ethnic representation was also problematic. Anna Marie De La Fuente, Variety, 7 Sep. 2022 Lydia Denworth, Scientific American, 1 Sep. 2017 Staging requirements make the SkyShow problematic now and virtually impossible once other phases of the project crowd the 166-acre property. San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Apr. 2022 See More Word History
Adjective
1609, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Noun
1898, in the meaning defined above
problematic
adjective
Synonyms & Similar Words
- difficult
- sticky
- complicated
- tricky
- tough
- complex
- nasty
- thorny
- sensitive
- touchy
- delicate
- problem
- painful
- troublesome
- dodgy
- knotty
- hairy
- serious
- ticklish
- catchy
- tricksy
- spiny
- vexing
- prickly
- involved
- worrisome
- intricate
- inconvenient
- abstract
- stubborn
- abstruse
- hard
- exacting
- vexatious
- recondite
- stressful
- oppressive
- onerous
- burdensome
- exhausting
- troublous
- demanding
- scabrous
- importunate
- discommoding
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- easy
- unproblematic
- straightforward
- simple
- uncomplicated
- effortless
- painless
- undemanding
- manageable
Synonyms & Similar Words
- questionable
- debatable
- suspicious
- doubtful
- disputable
- suspect
- ambiguous
- supposed
- dubious
- unclear
- shaky
- dodgy
- equivocal
- fishy
- weak
- shady
- queer
- dubitable
- unlikely
- alleged
- doubtable
- moot
- uncertain
- improbable
- undetermined
- flimsy
- so-called
- undecided
- far-fetched
- open
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- certain
- unproblematic
- indisputable
- sure
- unquestionable
- undeniable
- incontestable
- indubitable
- undoubted
- decisive
- questionless
- obvious
- definitive
- positive
- clear
- hands-down
- open-and-shut
Synonym Chooser
Some common synonyms of problematic are doubtful, dubious, and questionable. While all these words mean "not affording assurance of the worth, soundness, or certainty of something," problematic applies especially to things whose existence, meaning, fulfillment, or realization is highly uncertain.
The words doubtful and problematic are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, doubtful implies little more than a lack of conviction or certainty.
The synonyms dubious and problematic are sometimes interchangeable, but dubious stresses suspicion, mistrust, or hesitation.
While the synonyms questionable and problematic are close in meaning, questionable may imply no more than the existence of doubt but usually suggests that the suspicions are well-grounded.