iffy

American  

[if-ee] / ˈɪf i /

adjective

Informal.

iffier, comparative iffiest superlative

1. full of unresolved points or questions.

   an iffy situation.

   Synonyms:

   speculative, uncertain, unsettled, doubtful

2. doubtful; questionable.

   An early decision on this is iffy.

---

iffy British  

/ ˈɪfɪ /

adjective

1. informal uncertain or subject to contingency

   this scheme sounds a bit iffy

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• iffiness
  noun

Inflected Forms

Adjectives

• iffier
  comparative
• iffiest
  superlative

Etymology

Origin of iffy

First recorded in 1915–20; if + -y ¹

Explanation

When something's iffy, it's uncertain. You might want to reschedule your picnic if the weather looks iffy. Use the adjective iffy to describe things that might change, or are doubtful. If you break your ankle in June, the chances that you'll be able to run a marathon in August are iffy. You could also say that it's iffy your unreliable cousin will show up at your birthday party on time. Iffy has been around since the 1930's, when President Franklin D. Roosevelt invented it, taking the word if, turning it into an adjective, and using it often.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

iffy iffier iffiest

How much of Bath's title defence rests on Finn Russell's iffy calf?

From BBC ● Jun. 8, 2026

Many companies reported then that the economic outlook was too iffy for them to expand.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 6, 2026

“There’s nothing wrong with wanting men” begins with the iffy premise that extremely online discourse drives what people care about offline.

From Salon ● Jun. 3, 2026

Revivals are always iffy, but with a simple story and just four episodes, this one seems primed for success, and a ton of fun.

From MarketWatch ● Mar. 31, 2026

When we’re in this iffy mood—the subjunctive mood, if you want to be technical—was becomes were.

From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner

And remember that the door is typically the warmest place in the fridge, so it's fine for pickles and soda but iffier for shorter shelf life items like milk.

From Salon ● Dec. 4, 2023

A welcome exception to the iffier interviewees is Tony Chicotel, a lawyer and expert on long-term-care rights and California law.

From New York Times ● Oct. 1, 2021

The program’s supposed benefits look even iffier when weighed against its human costs, which are often easier to identify — children growing up without being able to visit fathers, for instance.

From Washington Post ● Nov. 23, 2017

Once you expand the conversation beyond our most domesticated companion, the prospects get even iffier.

From Slate ● Aug. 15, 2016

In the present tense, might is used rather than may to describe an iffier situation.

From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner

But the resulting expansion falls prey to that iffiest of modern-day horror movie conventions: an “opening up” narrative that too often feels like a shutting down of what’s truly scary.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 1, 2023