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Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

iffy en · ADJ

Pronunciation

  • /ˈɪfi/
  • (Australia) audio

Etymology

From if + -y.

Meanings

  1. (slang) Of dubious authenticity, legitimacy or legality.
    • He's selling new CD players for £20 each – that sounds a bit iffy to me.
  2. Uncertain or chancy; risky.
    • “He’s underground, anyway, so reception would be iffy.” 2020, N. K. Jemisin, The City We Became, Orbit, page 416:
    • "Definitely something iffy, that's for sure.” 2011, Terry Pratchett, Snuff, Doubleday, page 60:
    • The weather is still iffy for Saturday's rocket launch.
    • That potato salad smells a bit iffy. Don't chance it — it's not worth salmonellosis.

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
iffiest Degree=Sup lexicographic
iffier Degree=Cmp lexicographic

Antonyms

reliable · absolute · solid

Deriveds

iffily · iffiness

Hypernyms

unreliable · suspicious · fraudulent

Synonyms

dodgy · dicey · sketchy · dodgy · shonky · dubious · dubious · fishy · questionable · iffy · fishy · shady

Translations (19)

cs všelijaký (Of dubious authenticity, legitimacy or legality) · pt questionável (Of dubious authenticity, legitimacy or legality) · ru подозри́тельный (Of dubious authenticity, legitimacy or legality) · cs podezřelý (Of dubious authenticity, legitimacy or legality) · pt dúbio (Of dubious authenticity, legitimacy or legality) · pt suspeito (Of dubious authenticity, legitimacy or legality) · ka სათუო (Of dubious authenticity, legitimacy or legality) · de zweifelhaft (Of dubious authenticity, legitimacy or legality) · de dubios (Of dubious authenticity, legitimacy or legality) · fr louche (Of dubious authenticity, legitimacy or legality) · ro dubios (Of dubious authenticity, legitimacy or legality) · la dubius (Of dubious authenticity, legitimacy or legality) · ru сомни́тельный (Of dubious authenticity, legitimacy or legality) · cs pochybný (Of dubious authenticity, legitimacy or legality) · cs nejistý (uncertain) · sk neistý (Of dubious authenticity, legitimacy or legality) · it sospetto (Of dubious authenticity, legitimacy or legality) · sv skum (Of dubious authenticity, legitimacy or legality) · fi epäilyttävä (Of dubious authenticity, legitimacy or legality)