dodgy
Americanadjective
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inclined to dodge.
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evasively tricky.
a dodgy manner of dealing with people.
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Chiefly British. risky; hazardous; chancy.
adjective
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risky, difficult, or dangerous
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uncertain or unreliable; tricky
Etymology
Origin of dodgy
Explanation
A dodgy situation is risky and suspicious. A dodgy person is skilled in lying and deceiving. Neither should be trusted. When a person or situation is called dodgy, it's a clue that they should be dodged if at all possible. A job might be dodgy because it's illegal or dangerous. A shortcut might be dodgy if it could damage your car. Running a marathon without preparation is very dodgy. Similarly, a dodgy person is untrustworthy because they’re evasive, cunning, sly, or just a flat-out liar.
Vocabulary lists containing dodgy
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
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Never Let Me Go
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Wicked Ways: words for winning at all costs
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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.
For low-budget AI microdramas, Chinese regulations say platforms must be the primary checkpoint for potentially dodgy content.
From Barron's • Apr. 24, 2026
Every year millions of dodgy apps and cheapo internet-connected devices ship with an unadvertised back door called residential proxy software.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 5, 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.
