dubious

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈdubiəs/ UK /ˈdjuːbiəs/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

adj
hesitating or doubting; of questionable value or truth

The deal rested on the dubious claims of an unknown investor.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · hesitating or doubting; of... doubtful questionable suspect uncertain skeptical unsure fishy shady

Opposites

certain sure confident reliable trustworthy

Word family

Derived forms dubiouslydubiousnessdubiety

Related forms doubt indubitabledubitable

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

dubious honor
a distinction that is not entirely positive or flattering

Adjective + noun

Simplified etymology

Dubious, recorded from the mid-16th century, derives from Latin dubium, meaning “doubt,” the same Latin source underlying doubt.

Etymology

From Latin 'dubiosus', from 'dubium' ('doubt'), from 'dubius' ('wavering, doubtful'), from 'duo' ('two'), the idea being wavering between two possibilities.

dubiosus Latin dubius Latin duo French

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# dubious

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ˈdubiəs/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈdjuːbiəs/

## Meanings
1. hesitating or doubting; of questionable value or truth

## Examples
- The deal rested on the dubious claims of an unknown investor.

## Synonyms
- doubtful
- questionable
- suspect
- uncertain
- skeptical
- unsure
- fishy
- shady

## Antonyms
- certain
- sure
- confident
- reliable
- trustworthy

## Derived Forms
- dubiously
- dubiousness
- dubiety

## Related Forms
- doubt
- indubitable
- dubitable

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: dubiosus
- Root: dubius
- Root: duo

## Etymology
From Latin 'dubiosus', from 'dubium' ('doubt'), from 'dubius' ('wavering, doubtful'), from 'duo' ('two'), the idea being wavering between two possibilities.

## AI Etymology
Dubious is from Latin 'dubiosus', from 'dubium' ('doubt'), from 'dubius' ('wavering, doubtful'), from 'duo' ('two'), the idea being wavering between two possibilities. Important recorded forms include dubiosus (Latin), dubius (Latin), and duo (Latin). The current sense covers hesitating or doubting; of questionable value or truth. The wider family includes derived forms such as dubiously, dubiousness, and dubiety and related words such as doubt, indubitable, and dubitable.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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