Added 2 October 2026
dubious
/ˈd͡ʒuː.bi.əs/ adjective
In Latin: dubius Wiktionary
adjective Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about dubious at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
-
Arousing doubt; questionable; open to suspicion.
After he made some dubious claims about the company, fewer people trusted him.
-
In disbelief; wavering, uncertain, or hesitating in opinion; inclined to doubt; undecided.
She was dubious about my plan at first, but later I managed to persuade her to cooperate.
- Generally considered imprecise or wrong, but not totally unplayable.
Origin
From Latin dubius; like doubt, from Latin duo (cognate to English two), implying “two alternatives” (yes or no, true or false, etc.).
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)