Dictionary

dodgy en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• /ˈdɒd͡ʒ.i/
• (Australia) audio

Etymology

From dodge (verb) + -y. First used in mid-19th century England.

Meanings

1. (Commonwealth, Ireland, UK, colloquial) Evasive and shifty.
   • Asked why, a spokesman gave a dodgy answer about legal ramifications.
2. (Commonwealth, Ireland, UK, colloquial) Unsound and unreliable.
   • Never listen to dodgy advice.
   • The dodgy old machine kept breaking down.
3. (colloquial) Dishonest.
   • The more money the better, because there is always that dodgy politician or corrupt official to bribe.
   • No doubt you’re tired of reading about his colourful escapades – about his glamorous home, his allegedly dodgy tenderpreneur deals, his gushing praise of malevolent dictators, or his soundly articulated international economic policy. 2010 November 10, Pratish Mistry, “Why Julius Malema is important to the ANC”, in NewsTime:
   • I am sure you wouldn't want to be seen buying dodgy gear, would you? (stolen goods).
4. (colloquial) Risky.
   • “The market is getting edgier and edgier, and what is accepted in the marketplace gets dodgier and dodgier,” said Martin E. Abrams, the executive director of the Center for Information Policy Leadership at the law firm Hunton & Williams, a research organization financed by companies like Google, Microsoft and Best Buy. 2007 November 1, Louise Story, “F.T.C. to Review Online Ads and Privacy”, in The New York Times:
   • This is a slightly dodgy plan, because there is a lot that is being changed for this fix.
5. (colloquial) Deviant.
   • He's a dodgy Peeping Tom.
6. (colloquial) Uncomfortable and weird.
   • I'm feeling dodgy today, probably got the flu.
   • The situation was right dodgy.
   • Churchill's own forefathers were among the dodgiest of the lot -- one a spendthrift, another a child molester, a third so reclusive that he went three years without saying a word. 2002 October 27, Burkhard Bilger, “Fortune Hunters and Gatherers”, in The New York Times:

Forms

Deriveds

dodginess · dodgily · dodgy box

Synonyms

chancy (risky) · flaky (unsound and unreliable) · dodge (all) · risky (risky) · shaky (unsound and unreliable)

Translations (100)

de riskant (risky) · hu gyanús (unsound and unreliable) · fr risqué (risky) · fr craignos (risky) · mk недо́верлив (unsound and unreliable) · mk чу́ден (weird) · eo malfidinda (unsound and unreliable) · de unehrlich erworbeen (dishonest) · fr malhonnête (dishonest) · hu link (dishonest) · hu bizonytalan (risky) · fr périlleux (risky) · es extraño (weird) · es riesgoso (risky) · it elusivo (evasive and shifty) · es no fiable (unsound and unreliable) · fi riskialtis (risky) · es poco fiable (unsound and unreliable) · de unzuverlässig (unsound and unreliable) · hu rizikós (risky) · hu kétes (unsound and unreliable) · it rischioso (risky) · hu sumák (dishonest) · fr casse-cou (risky) · fr pourri (unsound and unreliable) · mk не́чесен (dishonest) · eo perversa (deviant) · bg избягващ (evasive and shifty) · pl szemrany (unsound and unreliable) · de ausweichend (evasive and shifty) · fr louche (weird) · fi epärehellinen (dishonest) · de komisch (weird) · ru ло́вкий (evasive and shifty) · hu fura (weird) · eo evitema (evasive and shifty) · pt desonesto (dishonest) · mk непре́двидлив (risky) · es dudoso (dishonest) · hu sunyi (dishonest) · it anormale (deviant) · fr à la noix (evasive and shifty) · mk у́мешен (evasive and shifty) · es sospechoso (dishonest) · de risikoreich (risky) · it evasivo (evasive and shifty) · hu homályos (evasive and shifty) · ru сомни́тельный (unsound and unreliable) · it strano (weird) · de unehrlich (dishonest) · es chungo (unsound and unreliable) · it peculiare (weird) · fi epävakaa (unsound and unreliable) · eo suspektinda (unsound and unreliable) · eo malhonesta (dishonest) · es raro (weird) · mk на́стран (deviant) · mk непри́јатен (weird) · it inaffidabile (unsound and unreliable) · es chungo (dishonest) · ru шаткий (unsound and unreliable) · eo stranga (weird) · mk ри́зичен (risky) · eo malpreciza (evasive and shifty) · sv tvivelaktig (dishonest) · de seltsam (weird) · mk риска́нтен (risky) · mk лу́кав (evasive and shifty) · bg рискован (risky) · da mærkelig (weird) · eo nefidinda (unsound and unreliable) · es flaite (unsound and unreliable) · hu perverz (deviant) · pt evasivo (evasive and shifty) · ru нече́стный (dishonest) · ru рискованный (risky) · hu simlis (dishonest) · bg нечестен (dishonest) · bg ненадежден (unsound and unreliable) · de unwohl (weird) · de ungemütlich (weird) · da unormal (deviant) · es deshonesto (dishonest) · mk неу́добен (weird) · it disonesto (dishonest) · hu zavaros (evasive and shifty) · ru с хитрецой (dishonest) · es arriesgado (risky) · pt arriscado (risky) · ru непрочный (unsound and unreliable) · de pervers (deviant) · mk сомни́телен (unsound and unreliable) · ru изворотливый (evasive and shifty) · ru непредсказу́емый (risky) · mk неверодо́стоен (unsound and unreliable) · fr pourrave (unsound and unreliable) · es peliagudo (dishonest) · bg увъртащ (evasive and shifty) · fr croche (dishonest) · mk ве́шт (evasive and shifty)