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 Word Forms

• 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

But there hasn’t been one quite like the current crash, which has been caused by the stringent tariffs threatened or already imposed on the world by Trump, based on dubious economic theorizing.

From Los Angeles Times

That contemporary art might be a dubious realm populated by frauds and charlatans seems quaint today, but once upon a time it was a standard assumption.

From Los Angeles Times

Ten Hag achieved another dubious honour in 2023-24 - his side lost 14 games in the Premier League, a club record.

From BBC

But Austrian investigators are recorded as saying it is "incomprehensible" that Ms Doncheva believed such "dubious stories".

From BBC

The team had found a clever - and dubious - way to use anti-stall as launch control.

From BBC

Related Words

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