Uncertainty: English Vocabulary List

almost impossible to predict who will win and who will lose, particularly in a competition

"The election is too close to call."

"The election results were too close to call until the final votes were counted early the next morning."

a feeling of uncertainty and doubt about something

"There is a question mark hanging over his future."

"A question mark hangs over the future of the factory after the company announced possible job cuts."

to correct a false story, misunderstanding, or incorrect belief by giving the true facts

"Let me set the record straight."

"He wrote a letter to the newspaper to set the record straight about what really happened during the incident."

used to say that even if the happening of something is unlikely, it is not impossible

"Try it — you never know!"

"Submit the application anyway — you never know, they may see exactly the kind of profile they have been looking for."

a situation that is hard to define or categorize and therefore unclear

"The legality of the action is a gray area."

"The legality of the action is a gray area and lawyers disagree about whether it is permitted."

to start doubting a decision and begin to wonder whether it is the right or best thing to do

"I am having second thoughts about this."

"She is having second thoughts about moving to a new city so far away from her family."

an attempt to guess or do something without having sufficient information or knowing the consequences

"It was a shot in the dark."

"Applying for that job without any experience was a complete stab in the dark, but surprisingly I got hired."

used to refer to something that is in an uncertain state

"His future is hanging in the balance."

"The future of the company hung in the balance as the board of directors debated whether to accept the takeover offer or not."

to be difficult or almost impossible to predict the outcome of a situation or event

"It's anybody's guess."

"With so many strong contenders, who will win the championship is anybody's guess."

to only accept a part of something or not take it seriously at all

"Take his advice with a grain of salt."

"You should take everything the salesman says with a grain of salt because he exaggerates."

a person or thing with uncertain or uncontrollable qualities or capabilities

"The new player is a wild card."

"The new player is a wild card and no one knows how he will perform under pressure."

a thing that is nowhere as good or strong as it appears

"This plan is rope of sand."

"Their alliance, built on shifting loyalties, proved to be nothing more than a rope of sand."

viewed with doubt or mistrust, even if not proven

"He is under a cloud of suspicion."

"The accountant worked under a cloud of suspicion after money went missing from the company safe."

used to say that it is impossible to answer a question concerning the size, length, or amount of something

"How long is a piece of string?"

"When asked how much time the project would take, the manager simply replied, "How long is a piece of string?""

used to say that the amount mentioned might be a little more or less than the exact amount

"The bag costs $50, give or take."

"The journey takes about two hours give or take a few minutes depending on the traffic conditions today."

used to describe a person or thing that is hard to describe or classify

"It's neither fish nor fowl."

"His artistic style was so unique that it was neither fish nor fowl, defying easy categorization."

a very little or no chance of success

"He has no dog's chance."

"With the opposing team's star player injured, our underdog team now has a dog's chance of winning."

(of a person) to be in a state of uncertainty or confusion

"I'm hanging in the wind."

"After the company announced layoffs, many employees were left hanging in the wind, unsure of their job security."

used to describe a situation where no clear advantage or resolution has emerged, leaving the final result uncertain

"They are neck and neck."

"The two candidates were running neck and neck in the polls until the very end."