Word Adjective
dodgy
adj.
B2 Upper Intermediate UK /dˈɒdʒi/ dodgy
Definition
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.
Examples
“This old phone has a dodgy battery.”
“He got the tickets from a dodgy website, so he's worried they aren't real.”
“While his official business was legitimate, the source of his initial funding remained a dodgy, unspoken subject among his partners.”
Etymology
From dodge (verb) + -y. First used in mid-19th century England.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
This entry
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Frequent
Updated