dubious

American

[doo-bee-uhs, dyoo-] / ˈdu bi əs, ˈdyu- /

adjective

doubtful; marked by or occasioning doubt.

a dubious reply.

Synonyms:

unclear, obscure, ambiguous, equivocal
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.

Synonyms:

hesitant, uncertain, undecided

dubious British

/ ˈdjuːbɪəs /

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

"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

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. )

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023