sketchy
Americanadjective
adjective
-
characteristic of a sketch; existing only in outline
-
superficial or slight
-
informal uncertain or unreliable
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of sketchy
Explanation
Something sketchy is incomplete: it includes the major points but lacks detail. If a political candidate avoids going into detail about her political views, you might say her platform is sketchy. A sketch is a quick drawing that doesn't have a lot of detail. That definition should help you remember that sketchy things are incomplete. A sketchy speech from the President will outline some important ideas but be short on specifics. A sketchy plan for the weekend would be "Let's go out to eat." That's sketchy because it has the general idea but no specifics, such as the time or place.
Vocabulary lists containing sketchy
Whirligig
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Down and Across
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The Boys Who Challenged Hitler
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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.
The Sketchy Maker said he might make more designs and has had interest from across the globe.
From BBC • Feb. 9, 2024
Sketchy data simply cannot be used to test such a profound possibility, Loeb maintains.
From Scientific American • Feb. 6, 2023
Sketchy companies pop up and disappear faster than the moles in the arcade game, creating a new domain name every time they resurface, so be wary of any sites created in the past year.
From Seattle Times • Nov. 9, 2021
Sketchy online sellers try to bolster the number of positive reviews on Amazon and other shopping sites.
From Fox News • Sep. 12, 2020
Sketchy data suggest that GDP dropped 50% in 1994 and came back partially, by 25%, in 1995.
From The 1998 CIA World Factbook by United States. Central Intelligence Agency
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.
