sketchy
Americanadjective
adjective
-
characteristic of a sketch; existing only in outline
-
superficial or slight
-
informal uncertain or unreliable
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of sketchy
Explanation
Something sketchy is incomplete: it includes the major points but lacks detail. If a political candidate avoids going into detail about her political views, you might say her platform is sketchy. A sketch is a quick drawing that doesn't have a lot of detail. That definition should help you remember that sketchy things are incomplete. A sketchy speech from the President will outline some important ideas but be short on specifics. A sketchy plan for the weekend would be "Let's go out to eat." That's sketchy because it has the general idea but no specifics, such as the time or place.
Vocabulary lists containing sketchy
Whirligig
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Down and Across
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The Boys Who Challenged Hitler
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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.
Hotel irons are sketchy and hotel dry cleaning is expensive.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026
Details remain sketchy, and other reports suggest Iran is unwilling to negotiate without security guarantees.
From Barron's • Mar. 25, 2026
The 22-year-old American served six double faults and was broken five times in a sketchy display, but she had enough to win through and set up a match against Amanda Anisimova or Belinda Bencic.
From BBC • Mar. 23, 2026
The Smart VPN feature is actually smart, automatically protecting you on sketchy Wi-Fi or when you open certain apps.
From Salon • Feb. 11, 2026
Westerberg found the station in time to catch the tail end of the Paul Harvey broadcast, and he was forced to agree: The few sketchy details made the anonymous hiker sound distressingly like his friend.
From "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer
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.
