dubious
Americanadjective
-
doubtful; marked by or occasioning doubt.
a dubious reply.
-
of doubtful quality or propriety; questionable.
a dubious compliment; a dubious transaction.
-
of uncertain outcome.
in dubious battle.
-
wavering or hesitating in opinion; inclined to doubt.
adjective
-
marked by or causing doubt
a dubious reply
-
unsettled in mind; uncertain; doubtful
-
of doubtful quality; untrustworthy
a dubious reputation
-
not certain in outcome
Synonym Usage
See doubtful.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of dubious
First recorded in 1540–50; from Latin dubius; cf. doubt ( def. )
Explanation
Choose the adjective dubious for something you have doubts about or you suspect is not true. That bridge you just "bought" might be of dubious value. Dubious stems from Latin dubiosus, "doubtful" or "uncertain," and contains the Latin root duo in this case meaning "of two minds." This is apparent in that dubious generally describes something that appears one way but is truly another. A dubious claim is probably not true, whereas a dubious website or character is of questionable quality. Dubious can also be synonymous with doubtful, as in "she was dubious about the idea."
Vocabulary lists containing dubious
The SAT: Words to Capture Tone, List 2
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Lord of the Flies
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The New SAT: Words to Capture Tone
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Appeared in the October 7, 2025, print edition as 'Nasdaq Becomes Home for Dubious Penny-Stock IPOs'.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 6, 2025
Dubious investments initiated by the players’ former business manager, Thomas M. Collins, included Arabian horses and oil wells in addition to hotel and restaurant ventures.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 25, 2024
"Dubious penalty, I'm still not convinced, but who cares? We're in the final," added former England winger Chris Waddle on 5 Live.
From BBC • Jul. 7, 2021
Dubious Saudi families collect art all the time, after all.
From New York Times • Nov. 20, 2020
Dubious, facing three ways, welcoming wayfarers, he whom the sea-orchard shelters from the west, from the east weathers sea-wind; fronts the great dunes.
From Sea Garden by H. D. (Hilda Doolittle)
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
