fishy

[ fish-ee ]

adjective

, fish·i·er, fish·i·est.

1. like a fish in shape, smell, taste, or the like.
2. consisting of fish.
3. abounding in fish.
4. Informal. improbable, as a story; unlikely.
5. Informal. of questionable character; suspicious:

   The sudden knockout was fishy.

   Synonyms: dubious, suspect, strange, queer, peculiar

6. dull and expressionless:

   fishy eyes.

fishy

/ ˈfɪʃɪ /

adjective

1. of, involving, or suggestive of fish
2. abounding in fish
3. informal.
   suspicious, doubtful, or questionable

   their leaving at the same time looked fishy

4. dull and lifeless

   a fishy look

Derived Forms

• ˈfishily, adverb
• ˈfishiness, noun

Other Words From

• fishi·ly adverb
• fishi·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of fishy¹

First recorded in 1540–50; fish + -y ¹

Example Sentences

The Department of Insurance’s Fraud Division began its investigation — dubbed Operation Bear Claw — after an insurance company examined the recording of the Jan. 28 Rolls Royce incident and became suspicious that there was something fishy going on.

From Los Angeles Times

“It’s been intermittently smelling very fishy and stinky since then, especially when the wind is low.”

From Los Angeles Times

A pungent, fishy rancid odor has been wafting through the coastal air in Los Angeles this week, an unfortunate consequence of beautiful bioluminescent algae that has graced local beaches for a fortnight.

From Los Angeles Times

Venice resident Lauren Hallett said she was taking her dog for a morning walk on the beach Sunday when she first noticed a fishy smell in the air.

From Los Angeles Times

In a snippet of her upcoming memoir shared by the New York Times, Trump made it clear that she thinks there was something fishy about the election that former President Donald Trump handily lost to Joe Biden.

From Salon

Related Words

• dubious
• odd