Definition of dubious
1 : giving rise to uncertainty: such asa : of doubtful promise or outcome a dubious planb : questionable or suspect as to true nature or quality the practice is of dubious legality
2 : unsettled in opinion : doubtful I was dubious about the plan.
dubiously
adverbdubiousness
nounFrom the M-W Editors
dubious was our Word of the Day on 07/25/2015. Hear the podcast!
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Examples of dubious in a Sentence
The recent rumbles and ruptures in the financial markets are finally making people reassess the dubious systems of credit that have arisen in the past few years. —William Safire, New York Times Magazine, 19 Aug. 2007
Thus, the translation of the Latin word biographus as “a biography,” and the limitation of “biographies” to written, printed histories of men, was perhaps inevitable. Poor Dryden was given the dubious honor of being the first to use the generic term—despite the fact that his phrase had been taken out of the context of biographical compilers, in a discussion of Plutarch. —Nigel Hamilton, Biography, 2007
That indeed is the crux of the matter. Today especially, when community-oriented policing is being introduced everywhere, it seems not only ethically dubious but self-defeating to engage in practices that at their best undermine trust and cooperation between citizens and law-enforcement officials and at their worst foster cynicism toward our legal system. —Edwin Dobb, Harper's, May 2002
To avoid fees, the new “relationship” minimum for checking accounts jumped from $2000 to as much as $6000. And what would customers get in exchange? The ability to take advantage of such a dubious new benefit as a consolidated monthly statement. —Consumer Reports, March 1996
He made the highly dubious claim that Elvis is still alive and living in Hawaii.
a man of dubious character
Recent Examples of dubious from the Web
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Los Angeles pitching had a franchise-record 26 strikeouts, handing the Brewers the dubious distinction of tying the major league mark for most whiffs in a game.
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In 1848, when news of the Gold Rush began spreading, people were so desperate to get to California that all sorts of dubious vessels were pressed into service, Everett says.
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Pedicab driver Azamat Nuguspanov was dubious as well.
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For the record, Southern Rock legend Gregg Allman did come to look fondly on Mobile, and even to return, despite a dubious first impression.
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Asked by the Daily Mail's Francesca Chambers why Trump considers the Post report dubious but the Fox News report credible, Spicer had no answer because there is no logical consistency.
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Most inexplicably, one of the series’s most dubious ongoing motifs, Frank’s obsession with his Confederate soldier ancestor, got pride of place with the war reenactor Eric Rawlings making a visit to the White House.
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Sporting dominated in possession (73 percent to 27 percent), passes (628-220) and shots (25-6), but the Rapids got on the board in the 11th minute thanks to a dubious foul call.
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The urban design of Phase 2 is equally dubious, largely because of the route the architects have chosen to accommodate Amtrak's desire to keep 800 parking spaces on the block that now houses the garage.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'dubious'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
There's No Uncertainty Around The Definition of Dubious
Dubious derives from the Latin verb dubare, meaning "to hesitate in choice of opinions or courses," and it is related to the Latin word for "two": duo. Dubious can be used to indicate uncertainty about the result of an action or the truth of a statement as well as about the uncertainty of a person and his or her character. In either case, it usually implies a feeling of doubt from suspicion, mistrust, or hesitation.
Origin and Etymology of dubious
Latin dubius, from dubare to vacillate; akin to Latin duo two — more at two
First Known Use: 1548
Synonym Discussion of dubious
DUBIOUS Defined for English Language Learners
dubious
playDefinition of dubious for English Language Learners
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: unsure or uncertain : feeling doubt about something
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: causing doubt, uncertainty, or suspicion : likely to be bad or wrong
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—used ironically in phrases like dubious honor and dubious distinction to describe something bad or undesirable as if it were an honor or achievement
DUBIOUS Defined for Kids
dubious
playDefinition of dubious for Students
1 : causing doubt : uncertain Our plans are dubious at this point.
2 : feeling doubt I was dubious about our chances.
3 : questionable 1 … they all began discussing dragon-slayings historical, dubious, and mythical … — J. R. R. Tolkien, The Hobbit
dubiously
adverbLearn More about dubious
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See words that rhyme with dubious Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for dubious Spanish Central: Translation of dubious Nglish: Translation of dubious for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of dubious for Arabic speakers
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