dubious

[ doo-bee-uhs, dyoo- ]

adjective

1. doubtful; marked by or occasioning doubt:

   a dubious reply.

   Synonyms: unclear, obscure, ambiguous, equivocal

2. of doubtful quality or propriety; questionable:

   a dubious compliment; a dubious transaction.

3. of uncertain outcome:

   in dubious battle.

4. wavering or hesitating in opinion; inclined to doubt.

   Synonyms: hesitant, uncertain, undecided

dubious

/ ˈdjuːbɪəs /

adjective

1. marked by or causing doubt

   a dubious reply

2. unsettled in mind; uncertain; doubtful
3. of doubtful quality; untrustworthy

   a dubious reputation

4. not certain in outcome

Derived Forms

• ˈdubiously, adverb
• ˈdubiousness, noun

Other Words From

• dubi·ous·ly adverb
• dubi·ous·ness noun
• super·dubi·ous adjective
• super·dubi·ous·ly adverb
• super·dubi·ous·ness noun
• un·dubi·ous adjective
• un·dubi·ous·ly adverb
• un·dubi·ous·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of dubious¹

First recorded in 1540–50; from Latin dubius; doubt ( def )

Word History and Origins

Origin of dubious¹

C16: from Latin dubius wavering

Synonym Study

See doubtful.

Example Sentences

“Am I the bad one?” yelps the singer and percussionist Ollie Judge, embodying a morally dubious character who is only just beginning to question the customs of his culture.

From New York Times

So his reasons are completely dubious in the first place,” Berry continued.

From Salon

The Trump Administration rolled out the vaccines in record-time through Operation Warp Speed, but the expediency of the process, along with misinformation circulating online, left many dubious of them.

From Salon

In an age where millions of people get their news and opinions from dubious apps on their phone, few are totally immune to the impacts of emotionally-satisfying conspiracy theories and their viral proliferation.

From Salon

The legally dubious “invasion” theory became a potent Republican talking point.

From Salon

Related Words

• arguable
• debatable
• equivocal
• fishy
• hesitant
• improbable
• problematic
• questionable
• reluctant
• shady
• skeptical
• suspicious
• uncertain
• unclear
• unconvinced
• unreliable
• unsure