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Dubious

Doubtful or questionable; not to be trusted or believed without further evidence; suspicious in nature or origin.

adjective

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Imagine This

Imagine a politician promising a flawless plan, but a skeptical crowd murmurs as they notice inconsistencies in the details; the crowd remains dubious about the claim.

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Sounds Like

DOO-bee-uhs (sounds like a word built from 'doubt' and the suffix -ous).

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Looks Like

Rooted in doubt; visually and conceptually linked to the word 'doubt'.

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Remember This

Dubious shares its root with doubt; it often implies a need for skepticism or verification, especially for claims, sources, or outcomes.

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Other Forms

dubiouslyadverb

dubiousnessnoun

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Connect With

doubtful, questionable, suspicious, uncertain, unreliable

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Note

Use dubious for questionable credibility or truthfulness. It often carries a negative nuance and can describe claims, sources, or honors (e.g., a dubious distinction). Do not confuse with 'doubtful' when context is neutral rather than suspicious.

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Study Deeper

Examples

The scientist offered a dubious explanation for the anomaly, and the results remained unconvincing.
The advertisement promised unbelievable features, but the claims seemed dubious to potential buyers.

Synonyms

doubtfulquestionablesuspiciousunclearsketchy

Antonyms

certaindefiniteclearundoubted

Etymology

From Latin dubiosus meaning doubtful, from dubium meaning doubt; entered English via Middle Latin and Early Modern English pathways.

Mnemonic

Mnemonic: DOUBT + OUS — it literally means full of doubt. Remember by thinking: if something seems shady, it is dubious.