Meaning
To cause something to be seen with uncertainty or skepticism
Primary Function
Undermine certainty
Communicative Purpose
To suggest that something is unreliable or questionable
Pattern
cast doubt on
Core Structure
cast doubt on
Função primária
Undermine certainty
Propósito comunicativo
To suggest that something is unreliable or questionable
Situações de gatilho
Investigations, critical analysis, debates
Contextos
Academic, legal, professional
Padrão
cast doubt on
Estrutura central
cast doubt on
Slots de substituição
cast serious doubt, cast considerable doubt, call into question, throw doubt on, challenge
Colocados típicos
- serious
- fresh
- further
- reasonable
- considerable
Substituições comuns
- call into question
- raise doubts
Erros comuns
throw a doubt, put doubt
Similar / contraste
call into question, raise questions about, challenge the assumption
Interferências
Use 'cast' not 'throw' unless informal.
Família do chunk
- call into question
- raise questions about
- challenge the assumption
Nuance
'Cast doubt on' is figurative; more emphatic than simply 'question.' It implies an underlying suspicion without outright accusation.
Efeito pragmático
Undermines credibility subtly while preserving politeness or neutrality in discourse.
Dica de memória
cast doubt on
Nota
3 examples
Upgrade path
question → call into question → cast serious doubt on the validity
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