iffy

[if-ee]

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adjective, if·fi·er, if·fi·est. Informal.

full of unresolved points or questions: an iffy situation.
doubtful; questionable: An early decision on this is iffy.

Origin of iffy

First recorded in 1915–20; if + -y¹

Related formsif·fi·ness, noun

Synonyms

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1. doubtful, unsettled, uncertain, speculative.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for iffy

Contemporary Examples

He found it “iffy,” he says, and he started searching for vulnerabilities.
Meet Graham Smith, SnapChat’s 16-Year-Old Nemesis
Nina Strochlic
January 29, 2014
His firearm arrests and an iffy Navy record did not prevent him from signing on as a computer technician with The Experts.
Aaron Alexis Was Hearing Voices a Month Before His Rampage
Michael Daly
September 18, 2013
But progress turned out to be iffy—USAID was overwhelmed by the scale of the problems and “a shell of its cold war self.”
The End of the Illusion: America Finally Learns Its Limits
Jacob Heilbrunn
April 30, 2013
To supplement reader engagement (and to bypass The Daily Beast's iffy comments section) I'll be moderating a live chat.
You're Invited to a Debate Party
Justin Green
October 16, 2012
Despite the sell-out crowd of 7,400, the mood was iffy from the get-go.
Slash Talks Guns N’ Roses’ Future, New Album ‘Apocalyptic Love,’ and More
Marlow Stern
May 25, 2012

British Dictionary definitions for iffy

iffy

adjective iffier or iffiest

informal uncertain or subject to contingencythis scheme sounds a bit iffy

Word Origin

C20: from if + -y 1

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

Word Origin and History for iffy

adj.

1937, American English, from if + -y (2). Originally associated with President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

iffy

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}iffy

Synonyms

Related Words

Examples from the Web for iffy

Contemporary Examples

He found it “iffy,” he says, and he started searching for vulnerabilities.

His firearm arrests and an iffy Navy record did not prevent him from signing on as a computer technician with The Experts.

But progress turned out to be iffy—USAID was overwhelmed by the scale of the problems and “a shell of its cold war self.”

To supplement reader engagement (and to bypass The Daily Beast's iffy comments section) I'll be moderating a live chat.

Despite the sell-out crowd of 7,400, the mood was iffy from the get-go.

iffy

Word Origin

Word Origin and History for iffy

adj.

Origin of iffy