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
Related Words
See doubtful.
Other Word Forms
- dubiously adverb
- dubiousness noun
- superdubious adjective
- superdubiously adverb
- superdubiousness noun
- undubious adjective
- undubiously adverb
- undubiousness noun
Etymology
Origin of dubious
First recorded in 1540–50; from Latin dubius; 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.
They’re at the root of my being dubious of the simple and easy.
From Salon • Apr. 13, 2026
Rather than trying to follow and spurring others to follow the dubious dictum “Don’t look away,” we should ask: “Why am I looking away?”
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 12, 2026
The deployments have made Iranian diplomatic envoys even more dubious that American peace efforts are sincere.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 30, 2026
The part where the laser guides the VSELs around Scott’s body is perhaps the most dubious of a procedure littered with doubt.
From Slate • Mar. 30, 2026
“Anyone employed by that dubious bar is not in a position to question another’s occupation.”
From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole
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.
