dodgy

adjective

\ ˈdä-jē

How to pronounce dodgy (audio)

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Definition of dodgy

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

Other Words from dodgy Synonyms Example Sentences Learn More about dodgy

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Examples of dodgy in a Sentence

The car's got a dodgy engine. They got into a dodgy situation.

Recent Examples on the Web

In previous lives this Midcentury Modern building—in a dodgy pocket of L.A. on the edge of Koreatown—was an architect’s office, the headquarters of Cat Fancy magazine, and a marijuana dispensary. — Mickey Rapkin, Town & Country, "The Horror of Jason Blum," 17 Oct. 2018 The issuers of these municipal bonds, mostly provinces and big cities, are in turn indirectly responsible for trillions of dollars more raised off balance sheet through dodgy investment vehicles, used to get around previous borrowing restrictions. — Nathaniel Taplin, WSJ, "China’s Fiscal Song And Dance Could Trip Up Investors," 13 Sep. 2018 So how did the researchers discover these potentially dodgy dealings? — Sean Keach, Fox News, "iPhone apps blasted for selling your exact location - do you have these on your phone?," 10 Sep. 2018 Well, while Strasburg’s health has been dodgy his whole career, his performance, when healthy, has been consistently great. — Michael Beller, SI.com, "Starting Pitcher Primer: It's Max Scherzer, Clayton Kershaw ... and Who Else?," 5 Feb. 2018 The United States looked like the obvious choice to takeover hosting duties from Colombia, but some dodgy backroom dealings at FIFA would ensure that this was not the case. — SI.com, "World Cup Countdown: 8 Weeks to Go - How Colombia Withdrew From Hosting the 1986 World Cup," 27 Apr. 2018 Shareholders who backed dodgy bankers and excessive debt lost their shirts, while capital has shifted from old technologies to support new and more efficient ways of doing business. — James Mackintosh, WSJ, "A Decade Later, U.S. Stocks Behave Like Lehman Never Happened," 4 June 2018 Both are embroiled in controversies surrounding dodgy financial deals but, while Trump’s poll numbers are holding up, Abe’s have plummeted to record lows. — Anna Fifield, Washington Post, "Japanese prime minister Abe, embroiled in scandals, faces calls to stand down," 16 Apr. 2018 Younger, a hapless criminal defense investigator, has had some success in educating his dodgy clients about smart ways to beat a rap. — Marilyn Stasio, New York Times, "Hate Thy Neighbor. Or Maybe Just Kill Him.," 6 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'dodgy.' 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 dodgy

dodgy

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of dodgy

chiefly British, informal

: false or dishonest

: causing a lack of trust or confidence

: in bad condition

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

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