dodgy

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈdɑdʒi/ UK /ˈdɒdʒi/ See IPA manual

adj

Meanings

1

adj
dishonest, unreliable, or of doubtful quality (British informal)

The deal sounded a bit dodgy, so she walked away.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · dishonest, unreliable, or... dishonest shady suspect unreliable risky shifty questionable

Opposites

reliable trustworthy sound reputable

Word family

Derived forms dodgilydodginess

Related forms dodgedodger

Etymology

From dodge ('to evade') + -y; the sense 'dishonest, unreliable' developed in British colloquial use in the 19th–20th centuries.

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives Register & Style

# dodgy

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** ˈdɑdʒi
**IPA (UK):** ˈdɒdʒi

## Meanings
1. dishonest, unreliable, or of doubtful quality (British informal)

## Examples
- The deal sounded a bit dodgy, so she walked away.

## Synonyms
- dishonest
- shady
- suspect
- unreliable
- risky
- shifty
- questionable

## Antonyms
- reliable
- trustworthy
- sound
- reputable

## Derived Forms
- dodgily
- dodginess

## Related Forms
- dodge
- dodger

## Etymology
From dodge ('to evade') + -y; the sense 'dishonest, unreliable' developed in British colloquial use in the 19th–20th centuries.

## AI Etymology
Dodgy is from dodge ('to evade') + -y; the sense 'dishonest, unreliable' developed in British colloquial use in the 19th–20th centuries. The suffix -y forms an adjective meaning characterized by the base, so the English form is shaped by recognizable word formation as well as by its inherited or borrowed base. In present use as an adjective, it means "dishonest, unreliable, or of doubtful quality (British informal)", keeping the historical formation close to the word's ordinary semantic work. Its colloquial history matters: the word belongs to informal usage before settling into the present dictionary sense. Related words include dodge and dodger; derived forms include dodgily and dodginess.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives
- Register & Style

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