adjective
- doubtful; marked by or occasioning doubt: a dubious reply.
- of doubtful quality or propriety; questionable: a dubious compliment; a dubious transaction.
- of uncertain outcome: in dubious battle.
- wavering or hesitating in opinion; inclined to doubt.
adjective
- marked by or causing doubta dubious reply
- unsettled in mind; uncertain; doubtful
- of doubtful quality; untrustworthya dubious reputation
- not certain in outcome
1540s, from Latin dubiosus “doubtful,” from dubium “doubt,” neuter of dubius “vacillating, moving two ways, fluctuating;” figuratively “wavering in opinion, doubting, doubtful,” from duo “two” (see two), with a sense of “of two minds, undecided between two things.” Old English also used tweo “two” to mean “doubt.” Cf. doubt (v.). Related: Dubiously; dubiousness.