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Synonyms

dodgy

American  
[doj-ee] / ˈdɒdʒ i /

adjective

dodgier, dodgiest

  1. inclined to dodge.

  2. evasively tricky.

    a dodgy manner of dealing with people.

  3. Chiefly British. risky; hazardous; chancy.

dodgy British  
/ ˈdɒdʒɪ /

adjective

  1. risky, difficult, or dangerous

  2. uncertain or unreliable; tricky

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of dodgy

First recorded in 1860–65; dodge + -y 1

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.

“We should worry about tight lending standards getting that bit tighter, lower rated credit spreads getting priced that bit wider, and perceived dodgy or vulnerable exposures coming under more scrutiny.”

From Barron's • Mar. 23, 2026

Last year, thanks to unusually cloudy water and dodgy ice, the figure was cut to 5.3%.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 20, 2026

His previous track record included several allegations of dodgy financial dealings, and he was well known for his “connections and friendships with the world’s super rich,” as a BBC report put it in December 2024.

From Salon • Feb. 15, 2026

A well-to-do worker in finance, he is ready to spread a lot of money around, and make some dodgy connections, to find her.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 8, 2026

Leave me in the care of that dodgy, despicable landlady?

From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan

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.