ENGLISH
REFERENCE

dodgy

adj.
UK //dˈɒdʒi// dodgy Informal

adj. Something that seems dishonest, unreliable, or of poor quality. You can use it to describe a person you don't trust, a product that might break, or a situation that feels a little unsafe.

adj. Dishonest, unreliable, or of poor quality; potentially illegal or dangerous. An informal adjective, particularly common in British English.


SIMPLE

This old phone has a dodgy battery.

CONTEXTUAL

He got the tickets from a dodgy website, so he's worried they aren't real.

COMPLEX

While his official business was legitimate, the source of his initial funding remained a dodgy, unspoken subject among his partners.

Synonyms
Origin

From dodge (verb) + -y. First used in mid-19th century England.

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