highly doubt that

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "highly doubt that" is not considered standard in written English.
It can be used informally to express a strong skepticism about something. Example: "I highly doubt that he will finish the project on time given his track record."

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

I highly doubt that.

Vice

We highly doubt that.

Huffington Post

"I highly doubt that," Nunes said.

The New Yorker

"I highly doubt that the natural green would be bad".

The Guardian

I highly doubt that Hughes wanted this debacle.

The New Yorker

"I highly doubt that there are worse detention facilities in Norway," Mr. Breivik wrote.

The New York Times

I highly doubt that: Switzerland needs the EU, but it cannot influence the political process within the EU.

The Guardian

I highly doubt that I could have repeated those three notes, but I might have been able to fake it.

The New Yorker

"I haven't asked Pu Zhiqiang but I highly doubt that he suspected those tweets were going to land him in trouble in the first place".

The Guardian

I highly doubt that a female peacekeeper is going to be equally beneficial in Darfur as in the DRC, as in any other vastly different anthropological context.

The Guardian

"I highly doubt that bees can tell the difference," Dr. Forsyth said, adding, "If bees did that, I'd fall off my chair".

The New York Times - Science

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "highly doubt that", ensure the context is appropriate for informal or neutral communication. It might be better to opt for a more formal alternative in academic or professional writing.

Common error

Avoid using "highly doubt that" in formal reports or academic papers. Opt for more professional alternatives like "I seriously doubt that" or "It is unlikely that".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "highly doubt that" functions as a declarative expression of disbelief or strong skepticism. It is used to indicate that the speaker or writer considers something unlikely or untrue. Ludwig AI examples show it appearing across various contexts to express disagreement or uncertainty.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

63%

Academia

20%

Science

17%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "highly doubt that" is a common way to express strong disbelief, though Ludwig AI identifies it as not standard in formal writing. While grammatically acceptable in many contexts, it's best reserved for neutral or informal situations. If writing reports or academic papers, consider alternatives such as "seriously doubt that" or "it is unlikely that". The examples provided by Ludwig showcase its prevalence in news and media, as well as academic discussions, highlighting its usefulness in conveying skepticism. Remember to choose the most fitting expression for your audience and context.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

seriously doubt that

Replaces "highly" with "seriously", indicating a strong level of doubt.

strongly doubt that

Substitutes "highly" with "strongly", conveying a firm sense of disbelief.

I very much doubt that

Adds "very much" to emphasize the intensity of the doubt.

I sincerely doubt that

Uses "sincerely" to express a genuine feeling of doubt.

I truly doubt that

Replaces "highly" with "truly" to highlight the authenticity of the doubt.

I really doubt that

Emphasizes the doubt with the word "really".

I greatly doubt that

Uses "greatly" to intensify the degree of doubt.

I somewhat doubt that

Uses "somewhat" to express the lower intensity of doubt.

I question that

Expresses uncertainty or disbelief about something without explicitly stating doubt.

I find that hard to believe

Indicates skepticism by expressing difficulty in accepting something as true.

FAQs

What can I say instead of "highly doubt that"?

You can use alternatives like "seriously doubt that", "strongly doubt that", or "I find that hard to believe" depending on the context.

Is "highly doubt that" grammatically correct?

While commonly used, "highly doubt that" is not considered standard in written English. It's best suited for informal or neutral contexts.

How to use "highly doubt that" in a sentence?

You can use it to express a strong feeling of disbelief. For example, "I highly doubt that he will arrive on time."

What's the difference between "highly doubt that" and "seriously doubt that"?

Both phrases convey a strong sense of disbelief, but "seriously doubt that" may be perceived as slightly more formal than "highly doubt that".