dodgy

adjective

ˈdä-jē 

1

chiefly British : evasive, tricky

2

chiefly British

a

: not sound, good, or reliable

b

: questionable, suspicious

3

chiefly British : requiring skill or care in handling or coping with

dodginess

ˈdä-jē-nəs 

noun

Synonyms of dodgy

• difficult
• tough
• sensitive
• problematic
• complicated

Examples of dodgy in a Sentence

The car's got a dodgy engine.

They got into a dodgy situation.

Recent Examples on the Web

Looking closely at the photo of the letter in The Saturday Salon’s post reveals some dodgy details. — Jay Peters, The Verge, 11 July 2026

Cue a whole host of dodgy deals and shady string-pulling, not to mention an extramarital affair, as the entirely fictional — but no doubt true to life — character abandons any sense of morality. — Jon O'Brien, Vulture, 26 June 2026

Millions of Americans with obesity are eager to get the drug, with options being limited so far to enrolling in a clinical trial or trying to obtain it by dodgy methods. — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 23 June 2026

But not all matches will be available on free broadcasts, and experts warn that scammers will try to tap demand by setting up dodgy streaming sites. — ABC News, 17 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1861, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for dodgy

• stodgy
• demagogy
• teleology