1
chiefly British : evasive, tricky
2
chiefly British
a
: not sound, good, or reliable
3
chiefly British : requiring skill or care in handling or coping with
dodginess noun

Examples of dodgy in a Sentence

The car's got a dodgy engine. They got into a dodgy situation.
Recent Examples on the Web Conditions improved in the second half but remained dodgy. Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Mar. 2024 Despite the off-field issues at Castel Volturno, the Napoli Scudetto bus has suffered from dirty fuel lines and a dodgy gearbox, and if Europe’s big spenders have their way over the summer, the engine could be dismantled and the chassis left on blocks too. David Ferrini, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024 The previous year, another friend of Young’s, Robbie Curtis, who’d also become entangled with dodgy Russians, died after falling in front of a Tube train. Patrick Radden Keefe, The New Yorker, 5 Feb. 2024 Despite the slightly dodgy suspension setup, the car proved itself in testing, which commenced in March 1948. Jonathan M. Gitlin, Ars Technica, 3 Oct. 2023 Justice Department prosecutors indicted the company on the aggressive and dodgy theory that the existing obstruction statutes applied to the shredders, who should have anticipated that there would be a government investigation. Andrew C. McCarthy, National Review, 16 Dec. 2023 Lisa is dodgy when Mickey asks where the potential murder weapon could be, and keeps information from him as the case continues to unravel. Milan Polk, Men's Health, 7 Aug. 2023 There’s something dodgy about portrait artists, and that’s part of their allure. Jackson Arn, The New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2023 In 1958, the couple and their three children moved to Northern California, where Edward’s brother was living, to escape the sectarian violence in Belfast, the dodgy economy and the rain. Sam Roberts, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dodgy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1861, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of dodgy was in 1861

Dictionary Entries Near dodgy

Cite this Entry

“Dodgy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dodgy. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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