sketchy
adjective
\ ˈske-chē
\
\
sketchier;
sketchiest
Definition of sketchy
1
: of the nature of a sketch : roughly outlined
2
: wanting in completeness, clearness, or substance : slight, superficial
the details are sketchy
3
: questionable, iffy
got into a sketchy situation a sketchy character
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Other Words from sketchy
sketchily
\ ˈske-chə-lē
\
adverb
\
adverb
sketchiness
\ ˈske-chē-nəs
\
noun
\
noun
Examples of sketchy in a Sentence
The details about the accident are still a little sketchy.
I have only a sketchy idea of how it works.
Recent Examples on the Web
After all, the primary value of note taking comes in the review of notes, and students tend to record sketchy notes. — Kenneth A. Kiewra, The Conversation, "7 tips on how to take better notes," 3 Sep. 2019 Out of a welter of sketchy bulletins, counter-claims and unpronounceable names flowing from Poland, the broad outlines of Germany’s assault began to take shape. — Olivia B. Waxman, Time, "The Invasion of Poland Wasn't Hitler's First Aggression. Here's Why That Move Marked the Beginning of WWII," 30 Aug. 2019 There has been some outright fraud, with sketchy developers ripping off investors. — Tom Benning, Dallas News, "Trump takes aim at 'golden visa' program that's pumped hundreds of millions of dollars in investment into Texas," 24 Aug. 2019 Veuer's Natasha Abellard has the story. Buzz60 Two separate accounts surfaced over the past week, revealing how developers can use sketchy methods to infect your phone, take your money and even control your device. — Dalvin Brown, USA TODAY, "Millions of Android phones silently infected with malware through Samsung app scam: report," 10 July 2019 With Dele Alli and Son Heung-min both absent through injury and suspension respectively, Eriksen ought to edge the Argentine, despite having a pretty sketchy pre-season. — SI.com, "Picking the Tottenham XI That Should Start Against Aston Villa in Premier League Opener," 6 Aug. 2019 The Gold Dollar's allure derived in large part from its sketchy locale. — Brian Mccollum, Detroit Free Press, "Iconic Detroit venue that hosted White Stripes' first show destroyed in fire Monday evening," 23 July 2019 Parting Shot The Colorado rotation, sketchy enough with a major league-worst 5.80 ERA, isn’t getting any help lately from Marquez. — Jeff Bailey, The Denver Post, "NBA 2K20 unveils ratings for top players. Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic is among them.," 17 July 2019 Cox met with an FBI agent and gave up information about sketchy real-estate agents, appraisers, and title agents. — Rachel Monroe, The Atlantic, "The True-Crime Writer in Cellblock B4," 16 July 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'sketchy.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for sketchy
sketchy
adjective
English Language Learners Definition of sketchy
: not complete or clear
: done quickly without many details
US, informal
: likely to be bad or dangerous
See the full definition for sketchy in the English Language Learners Dictionary
sketchy
adjective
\ ˈske-chē
\
\
sketchier;
sketchiest
Kids Definition of sketchy
1
: roughly outlined
2
: lacking completeness or clearness
a sketchy description
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