Synonyms of dodgy

dodgy

adjective

ˈdä-jē 

chiefly British

1

as in difficult

requiring exceptional skill or caution in performance or handling

getting the trade unions to go along with the agreement will be a rather dodgy piece of work

Synonyms & Similar Words

• difficult
• tough
• sensitive
• problematic
• complicated
• sticky
• tricky
• nasty
• delicate
• problem
• serious
• thorny
• hairy
• touchy
• hard
• tricksy
• complex
• catchy
• knotty
• painful
• spiny
• ticklish
• prickly
• troublesome
• intricate
• recondite
• abstruse
• abstract
• involved
• stubborn
• worrisome
• vexing
• vexatious
• inconvenient
• oppressive
• scabrous
• onerous
• stressful
• troublous
• demanding
• burdensome
• exacting
• exhausting
• importunate
• discommoding

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• easy
• simple
• straightforward
• uncomplicated
• manageable
• painless
• effortless
• unproblematic
• undemanding

2

as in cunning

clever at attaining one's ends by indirect and often deceptive means

needed a dodgy barrister to get him acquitted of the charge

Synonyms & Similar Words

• cunning
• cute
• slick
• fraudulent
• subtle
• deceptive
• dishonest
• crooked
• tricky
• treacherous
• wily
• crafty
• sly
• beguiling
• shrewd
• shady
• designing
• artful
• foxy
• devious
• cagey
• scheming
• guileful
• deceitful
• slippery
• unscrupulous
• calculating
• sharp
• clandestine
• shifty
• sneaky
• undercover
• astute
• glib
• oblique
• covert
• circular
• hypocritical
• plotting
• serpentine
• underhanded
• underhand
• roundabout
• secret
• knavish
• Machiavellian
• facile
• surreptitious
• insincere
• circuitous
• concealed
• insinuating
• furtive
• stealthy
• backhanded
• mealy
• two-faced
• smooth-tongued
• double-dealing
• mealymouthed
• left-handed
• hugger-mugger

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• obvious
• innocent
• artless
• real
• ingenuous
• public
• guileless
• plain
• simple
• open
• direct
• honest
• straightforward
• unaffected
• natural
• unsophisticated
• forthright
• frank
• unpretentious
• sincere
• outspoken
• unconcealed
• patent
• candid
• impressionable
• unvarnished
• childlike
• undesigning
• unworldly
• aboveboard
• unpretending
• simpleminded
• trusting
• unforced
• unstudied
• plainspoken
• trustful

3

as in questionable

giving good reason for being doubted, questioned, or challenged

the authenticity of the "lost" Shakespearean sonnet was more than a little dodgy

Synonyms & Similar Words

• questionable
• dubious
• suspicious
• problematic
• disputable
• doubtful
• debatable
• suspect
• shaky
• fishy
• shady
• ambiguous
• alleged
• queer
• equivocal
• unclear
• dubitable
• doubtable
• weak
• unlikely
• uncertain
• supposed
• moot
• improbable
• flimsy
• so-called
• undetermined
• undecided
• open
• far-fetched

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• certain
• sure
• indisputable
• unquestionable
• unproblematic
• undeniable
• undoubted
• incontestable
• indubitable
• decisive
• definitive
• obvious
• questionless
• positive
• clear
• hands-down
• open-and-shut

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of dodgy

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

The bloc’s executive arm issued the penalty under the Digital Services Act, or DSA, a wide-ranging rulebook that requires online platforms to do more to keep internet users safe from harmful content or dodgy goods, under the threat of hefty fines. — Kelvin Chan, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2026

Tourists huddle on a dodgy corner in the Lower East Side where the craft cocktail revival started in America. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 May 2026