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dubious

adjective
du·​bi·​ous | \ ˈdü-bÄ“-É™s How to pronounce dubious (audio) also dyü-\

Definition of dubious

1 : unsettled in opinion : doubtful I was dubious about the plan.
2 : giving rise to uncertainty: such as
a : of doubtful promise or outcome a dubious plan
b : questionable or suspect as to true nature or quality the practice is of dubious legality
Other Words from dubious Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym There's No Uncertainty Around the Definition of Dubious More Example Sentences Learn More about dubious

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Other Words from dubious

dubiously adverb
dubiousness noun

Choose the Right Synonym for dubious

doubtful, dubious, problematic, questionable mean not affording assurance of the worth, soundness, or certainty of something. doubtful implies little more than a lack of conviction or certainty. doubtful about whether I said the right thing dubious stresses suspicion, mistrust, or hesitation. dubious about the practicality of the scheme problematic applies especially to things whose existence, meaning, fulfillment, or realization is highly uncertain. whether the project will ever be finished is problematic questionable may imply no more than the existence of doubt but usually suggests that the suspicions are well-grounded. a man of questionable honesty

There's No Uncertainty Around the Definition of Dubious

Dubious derives from the Latin verb dubare, meaning "to hesitate in choice of opinions or courses," and it is related to the Latin word for "two": duo. Dubious can be used to indicate uncertainty about the result of an action or the truth of a statement as well as about the uncertainty of a person and his or her character. In either case, it usually implies a feeling of doubt from suspicion, mistrust, or hesitation.

Examples of dubious in a Sentence

The recent rumbles and ruptures in the financial markets are finally making people reassess the dubious systems of credit that have arisen in the past few years. — William Safire, New York Times Magazine, 19 Aug. 2007 Thus, the translation of the Latin word biographus as "a biography," and the limitation of "biographies" to written, printed histories of men, was perhaps inevitable. Poor Dryden was given the dubious honor of being the first to use the generic term—despite the fact that his phrase had been taken out of the context of biographical compilers, in a discussion of Plutarch. — Nigel Hamilton, Biography, 2007 That indeed is the crux of the matter. Today especially, when community-oriented policing is being introduced everywhere, it seems not only ethically dubious but self-defeating to engage in practices that at their best undermine trust and cooperation between citizens and law-enforcement officials and at their worst foster cynicism toward our legal system. — Edwin Dobb, Harper's, May 2002 To avoid fees, the new "relationship" minimum for checking accounts jumped from $2000 to as much as $6000. And what would customers get in exchange? The ability to take advantage of such a dubious new benefit as a consolidated monthly statement. — Consumer Reports, March 1996 He made the highly dubious claim that Elvis is still alive and living in Hawaii. a man of dubious character
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Recent Examples on the Web

 But his pawn structure was dubious, and Carlsen capitalized on a blunder and won. — Louisa Thomas, The New Yorker, "Magnus Carlsen Was Defeated, But the Draw Remains Dominant in Chess," 30 Aug. 2019 Borrowing oodles of money to buy back shares at the end of an economic cycle, when share prices are near record highs, may seem especially dubious for highly indebted companies like AT&T and American Airlines. — Larry Light, Fortune, "More than Half of All Stock Buybacks are Now Financed by Debt. Here’s Why That’s a Problem," 20 Aug. 2019 This peaceful dinner between natives and settlers may seem a bit dubious to some, given the tensions between the two groups. — Rebekah Lowin, Country Living, "Why Do We Celebrate Thanksgiving—and Why Does It Fall on a Thursday?," 12 Aug. 2019 Independent journalists, rights advocates, opposition politicians, government whistle-blowers and others are smeared in the media, jailed on dubious charges and, in some cases, killed. — New York Times, "Fears of Navalny Poisoning Are Rooted in Previous Attacks on Kremlin Foes," 29 July 2019 After his arrest Thursday on dubious drug charges, Russia’s independent trade union of journalists called on its members to picket police stations around Russia. — The Christian Science Monitor, "When decisions feel beyond our control," 10 June 2019 However dubious Trump's claims are, many companies based both in the US and abroad already are looking for alternatives to China due to the trade war. — Klint Finley, WIRED, "Trump’s Trade War Isn’t Just a US–China Problem," 26 Aug. 2019 At the dawn of the stealth age, the technology involved in making a plane nearly invisible to radar was mysterious and, to some critics, dubious. — Samantha Masunagastaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, "30 years after the B-2 took flight, Northrop is applying lessons to a new stealth bomber," 21 Aug. 2019 Haphazard and often-dubious arrangements vary sharply by city. — Elliot Spagat, Fortune, "40,000 Migrants Are Now Waiting at the U.S. Border," 8 Aug. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'dubious.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of dubious

1548, in the meaning defined at sense 2

History and Etymology for dubious

Latin dubius, from dubare to vacillate; akin to Latin duo two — more at two

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More Definitions for dubious

dubious

adjective
How to pronounce dubious (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of dubious

: unsure or uncertain : feeling doubt about something
: causing doubt, uncertainty, or suspicion : likely to be bad or wrong
—used ironically in phrases like dubious honor and dubious distinction to describe something bad or undesirable as if it were an honor or achievement

See the full definition for dubious in the English Language Learners Dictionary

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