dodgy
13
8.2
- adjective
- /ˈdɑːdʒi/
- UK
:
peligroso
- - Oh, I suppose it's a dangerous line of work, always running into dodgy characters.
- very dodgy
- a bit dodgy
- getting dodgy
It seems real dodgy ground both sides.
- It seems real dodgy ground both sides.
- That dodgy knee, it's not dodgy, dodgy now, isn't it?
- And also as well we were getting dodgy MO TS for cars.
- They're not sex parties, they're dodgy drug parties.
- The next one is around essentially dodgy grammar.
- OK, because I had a dodgy passport and everything, but I couldn't.
- He was, he was running it for these dodgy guys.
- But whenever Andrew has to a contact, they always appear to be rather dodgy contacts.
- Oh, I think like, yeah, your audio went a bit dodgy.
- And this gives you some insight into why financial institutions bought these dodgy investments, not understanding them.
Examples
-
His dedication to even what commonly passes for conservatism is dodgy at best.
Blog text (8) -
Because the moment we message Steve now we're in dodgy territory.
-
It's not my fault you own this dodgy stock.
-
This proposition, just how dodgy is it?
-
Transparency is one thing, but receiving dodgy statistics from various agencies is always another.
Blog text (4) -
The weather was looking decidedly dodgy, but we still went.
Blog text (10) -
A more suspicious man might think there's something dodgy going on.
-
Her American accent is patchy, and not helped by the dodgy lines of dialogue she is given.
Blog text (23) -
Warning: try not to swallow the sauce or you'll end up with a dodgy stomach for days.
Blog text (8) -
I wouldn't trust that dodgy mechanic; he overcharges for simple repairs.
Synonyms
∞
1.5
Likely to cause harm or injury
269
3.6
Likely to cause loss, harm, or danger
176
3.9
Probably not true or trustworthy
93
1.1
Likely to cause harm to people or damage to things
90
6.5
Not clearly true or trustworthy and causing doubt
71
4.1
Not able to be trusted to work or be right
30
8.5
Likely to be risky or dangerous because the outcome is uncertain
26
8.1
Not certain or reliable
25
7.6
Appearing unsafe or not to be trusted
23
3.5
Not safe and likely to be damaged, like a building or job
21
4.8
Not honest or reliable with promises
3
6.9
Not certain and likely to be risky
1
5.0
People do not see it as safe or reliable
1
8.6
A little suspicious and not easy to trust
Likely to involve risk or an uncertain result
Not safe to depend on because they may fail or betray you
How Dodgy
∞
1.5
- Informal
79
5.5
269
3.6
- UK
13
8.2
300
2.7
176
3.9
- Informal
26
8.1
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
Dodgy comes from the familiar verb dodge, which means 'to move quickly to avoid' something. Think of a street where you must dodge holes or danger, so it feels unsafe or risky. So when you call a place or plan dodgy, you mean it involves risk or is not reliable.