Uncertain

Meaning

Uncertain means not known, decided, or definite. It can also describe someone who is unsure about what to do, think, or believe.

Pronunciation

/ʌnˈsɜː.tən/

Word Forms

• Adjective: uncertain
• Noun: uncertainty
• Adverb: uncertainly
• Opposite adjective: certain

Synonyms

Antonyms

Common Collocations

• uncertain future — a future whose outcome is not known.
• uncertain outcome — a result that cannot be predicted with confidence.
• uncertain about something — unsure about something.
• remain uncertain — continue to be unknown or undecided.
• uncertain circumstances — conditions that are unclear or unpredictable.
• uncertain whether — not sure whether something is true or will happen.

Example Sentences

• She was uncertain about whether to accept the offer.
• The future of the project remains uncertain.
• He sounded uncertain when he answered the question.
• We are uncertain about what caused the problem.
• Despite the uncertain circumstances, they decided to continue.

Literary Example

Example:

“It is a very strange sensation to inexperienced youth to feel itself quite alone in the world, cut adrift from every connexion, uncertain whether the port to which it is bound can be reached, and prevented by many impediments from returning to that it has quitted.”

— Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre

Here, uncertain describes a state of not knowing whether something will happen. Jane is unsure whether she will be able to reach her destination, making the word closely connected to the novel's atmosphere of transition, uncertainty, and anticipation.

Story Workshop

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Related Words

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