Unit 11 Certain/Optirnistic/Doubtful/Pessimistic
Part 2 I doubtful (about sth) uncertain and unconfident
I'm doubtful (ahout) ~'herhelshe'll cSonle.ll'\v ogr'ced to lend him n7s car., hut I still feel a bit douhrful ahour it.
2 to doubt a (s.o./sth) to be uncertain about someone or something
I'm sot-1.y i f 1 doubted you - ~ o p~.o\sed u mc ~,~.orr,y./.Yhc~ upologised for having doubted my cr9or.d (= fcr having thought that I was not telling the truth.)
b (thut ...) to consider something to be unlikely
She may he there tonight. hut I 1.er.y much doubt 11.11~ i o u h f that she'll he thew.ll doubt whether they'll come.
3 doubt (about sth) (a feeling of) uncertainty
There seems to be some doubt about ah he rho. hc 1s a c t u a l l ~guilty or not./The~.e's1 7 0 dot~htthat she's ki11g.1 Everyone thinks it's a wonderfir1 idea, hut I hurv mj. douhts./No~'that I ' m jinully lea\.ing the c.owltl.y for.e~.cr.. I'm heginnirzg to h(11.e doubts ahout it.
4 no doubt certainly or very probably (used to emphasise that you believe something to be true)
N o doubt you'll hu\*e heard about their e17gu~r~n7ent.lM/~~'II see you tonight, no douht.
5 sceptical (ofluhou: sth) very doubtful about something; unwilling to believe that a claim, statement, promise etc. is true
I've ussur-ed her. that my offer- is genuine, hut she still seems rather sceptic-a1 (($'about it).
6 pessimistic (uhout sth) always expecting the worst
tfe'.r very pessimistic uhouf hts (./7anc.~s ~ f p u ~ s i nhis g exams.
7 a pessimist
Don't he such a pessimist! You' 1.e got us good a chance as unphody of getting the job.
a pessimistic person X a reservation (about s.o./sth) a feeling of doubt about someone or something, that causes you to hesitate
She's beginnin,? to ha1.e I-esel-vatiorrsabout ma~-r.yin,qhim.! M y b i g ~ e s tr.eserrlution about hu~,ingit, is the PI-ic.c.lWe accept yo~iroffer ~ i f h o uresel.\'ation. t
U n i t 11 Exercises I I . 1 Choose the bt~or-dor- phrase ( A . R. C or- D ) ~9hic.hbest con~pleteseach sentence. 1 Are you
that those were his exact words? B hopeful C secure D safe
............
A positive
2 He seems . . . . . . . . . . . . about whether she'll agree or not. A doubtful B undoubted C unlikely D without doubt