Synonyms for problematic
- adjective
Synonyms by meaning
Adjective
1. Problematical — posing a problem; having or suffering from problem(s), Not settled, uncertain, of uncertain outcome…
problematical, questionable, controversial, debatable, dubious, uncertain, doubtful, disputable
2. Posing a problem — posing a problem; having or suffering from problem(s), Difficult to overcome, solve, or decide
difficult, troublesome, complicated, complex, involved, intricate
Definitions
- adj. 1
Posing a problem; having or suffering from problem(s): Difficult to overcome, solve, or decide.
- adj. 2
Posing a problem; having or suffering from problem(s): Not settled, uncertain, of uncertain outcome; debatable, questionable, open to doubt.
it portends a problematic future for the movement
- adj. 3
Posing a problem; having or suffering from problem(s): Contributing (especially if subtly) to discrimination (such as racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, or ageism).
Related words
- Word family
- problematical problematicity problematicness problem
Example sentences
- controversial Racial profiling is a controversial police tactic.
- questionable There are many questionable points in this ledger.
- debatable It's debatable whether what Tom did was wrong or not.
- difficult Explain to him the difficult situation you are in.
- troublesome Nothing is troublesome that one does willingly.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| problematic | rising | |
| controversial | rising | |
| questionable | falling | |
| debatable | steady | |
| problematical | falling | |
| difficult | steady |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 5 letters
- tough1
- 6 letters
- knotty2
- 7 letters
- complex2, dubious3, elusive3
- 8 letters
- involved2, doubtful2, baffling3
- 9 letters
- difficult3, uncertain3, intricate3, debatable4
- 10 letters
- disputable4
- 11 letters
- complicated4, troublesome3
- 12 letters
- questionable4
- 13 letters
- controversial4, problematical5
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (knotty2 = 2 syllables).
In other languages
- Français
- problématique
- Italiano
- problematico
- Deutsch
- problematisch