Definition of dubious in English:

dubious

adjective ˈdjuːbɪəsˈd(j)ubiəs

1Hesitating or doubting.
I was rather dubious about the whole idea
Example sentencesExamples
- I'm just a bit more dubious about the odds of this happening than Hewitt.
- ‘At first I was a bit dubious about going back to Bradford from Otley, but now I think the move is the best thing that we have ever done,’ he said.
- ‘I am very dubious about this sort of thing,’ added Dr Fitzpatrick.
- ‘People who might be dubious about standing somewhere waiting for a bus may be more encouraged to do so if they know exactly when the bus is due,’ he said.
- I was pretty dubious about it when I was a journalist, but now I think it's remarkably ineffectual.
- I was dubious about the composition project, until I heard the music.
- I have become more dubious about the last point.
- One direct result of this vicious circle was that many parents remained dubious about the quality of non-government education.
- However, councillors were dubious about visiting the site.
- And it is that part that, I think, we are a little dubious about.
- I am also extremely dubious about grand projects.
- They are deeply dubious about whether he has succeeded at all on most domestic issues.
- I shrugged, probably dubious about the opportunity myself.
- I'm not objecting to the Food Museum, of course, but I am somewhat dubious about the prospect of a hundred thousand visitors per year.
- She was a bit dubious about it at first but now she is getting used to it and people adore her everywhere we go.
- He may have been dubious about some of the more outlandish changes that had occurred in journalism but it was always in a good-humoured way.
- Reading the script beforehand, I had been dubious about anyone performing it as a one-person show.
- To work the sanctions would have to be ‘short, sharp and painful’ but an official report was dubious about their effectiveness.
- He is similarly dubious about the suggestion that the protests were incited by older activists.
- I was a little dubious about this tour from the outset.
Synonyms
doubtful, uncertain, unsure, in doubt, hesitant
undecided, unsettled, unconfirmed, undetermined, indefinite, unresolved, up in the air
wavering, vacillating, irresolute, in a quandary, in a dilemma, on the horns of a dilemma
sceptical, suspicious
informal iffy
2Not to be relied upon; suspect.
extremely dubious assumptions
Example sentencesExamples
- However, those often rely on dubious assumptions.
- Instead, a dubious logic pervades, upon which we base entire networks of conclusions and imperatives.
- They entail, furthermore, the dubious assumption that cultural change moves in only one direction: from top to bottom.
- As I elucidated in the last section, misleading assumptions and dubious claims about western alienation abound.
- As such, it asks us to accept the dubious assumptions that interval returns are normally distributed and independent.
- The argument for higher charges makes a number of dubious assumptions.
- For some of these reports, Miller appears to have relied on highly dubious sources.
- Such claims, he contends, rely on slippery language and dubious assumptions.
- An increasingly isolated figure, he has come to rely on authorities whose expertise in the relevant disciplines is dubious.
- Finally, the model's dubious assumption is that current valuation levels are approximately correct.
- Even if you make the dubious assumption that all of them were truly civilians, it is not surprising that so many died.
- The dirty little secret of the polling industry is that, all too often, its findings are based on flawed methodology and dubious assumptions.
- Such a belief, the Senate report said, relied on the use of increasingly dubious sources and a dismissal of dissenting views.
- You are asking us to be careful about adopting assumptions which are founded on rather dubious ground and would subvert our intentions, good as they may be.
- An important part of the answer, I think, lies in exposing a number of dubious assumptions about human psychology.
- Many of us were perhaps blinded by this hitherto unknown quality of sincerity, allowing it to eclipse the dubious methodologies upon which the plethora of information was based.
- Red-hot rage may seem in order when the country's values have been trampled upon by a government with a dubious claim to legitimacy.
- But here, as elsewhere, Smith's philosophical assumptions are highly dubious.
- His democratic credentials are highly dubious and suspect.
- To postulate the reality of the latter is in fact very dubious, because it relies on a contestable empirical claim that simply cannot be sustained.
Synonyms
suspicious, suspect, under suspicion, untrustworthy, unreliable, undependable, questionable
equivocal, ambiguous, indeterminate, indefinite, unclear, vague, imprecise, hazy, puzzling, enigmatic, cryptic
1. 2.1 Morally suspect.
  timeshare has been brought into disrepute by dubious sales methods
  Example sentencesExamples
  But the public interest would not be served by people of dubious motives giving false information by doctoring the official record.
  Ray is not a good father, as evidenced by his empty fridge and dubious methods of interacting with his kids.
  The result is a surreal, hypnotic journey into morally ambiguous territory, led by an increasingly dubious tour guide.
  Matters come to a head when the star is expelled from the team, leading to a climax at once disturbingly intense and morally dubious.
  Before the war, the submarine was regarded as a morally dubious weapon, subject to international agreements.
  For a start, the whole idea of reciprocity and empowerment seems morally dubious to me.
  However, thanks to dubious sales techniques, it is widely mis-sold.
  I listed at the beginning the most usual procedures used to provide assistance in conception, but deferred discussion of the two methods that are most morally dubious.
  David Weinberger has some interesting things to say about the game, and the morally dubious world it allows you to enter.
  Last time I solved it myself by medically dubious methods and I'd rather not do that again!
  Characters are rootless, without orientation, almost unaware that their behaviour is morally dubious.
  They are engaged in tax avoidance, which is entirely legal, though you might argue it's morally dubious.
  They weren't always on the side of good, and even when they were, they still regularly made morally dubious judgements, but they were always true to their natures.
  Like Den, he gets involved in dubious deals with shady characters, and the source of his money is not always entirely clear.
  The credit industry has been accused of using ‘sneaky tricks and dubious sales practices’ to boost profits.
  Philosophy aims only at the truth, not at mere persuasion regardless of truth, which is a dubious enterprise in both its intentions and its methods.
  Even those which are imaginative and intelligently put together are often morally dubious.
  He just enjoys exploring the morally dubious aspects of it, and exploring difficult situations.
  It shows him as morally dubious - he wants the men to die so he can finish his book, but he pretends otherwise - and intellectually cold.
  The approach outline above seems to offer the best prospect for exposing the administration's dubious motives and methods.
  Synonyms
  suspicious, suspect, under suspicion, untrustworthy, unreliable, undependable, questionable
2. 2.2 Of questionable value.
  he holds the dubious distinction of being relegated with every club he has played for
  Example sentencesExamples
  The region has the dubious distinction of having Europe's worst service station.
  And it spends billions each year in social welfare programs that are endlessly duplicative and of dubious value.
  Another Horsforth man claimed the dubious distinction of becoming the first English serviceman to be captured by the Germans - just one day after war broke out.
  His primary sources include most if not all the standard references on the subject along with one or two of dubious value.
  2004 will finish with a hat trick of games against the teams enjoying the dubious distinction of being below us in the league.
  When it comes to sharing your faith, gimmicks are of dubious value.
  Is it perhaps yet another organisation designed to make money by providing endorsements of dubious value?
  For these reasons, reflective foil on board insulation is of dubious value.
  In fact, it could be argued that 15 Minutes earns the dubious distinction of being the most cynical film ever made about cynicism.
  For an extended look at the dubious value of a humanities education in particular see here.
  In a time of government cutbacks, as a tax-payer I am unconvinced that we need to fund more programs of dubious value.
  Aurillac, a lovely city at the foot of the Cantal mountains, has the dubious distinction of being the prefecture in France furthest from a motorway.
  On the flip side, the district has the dubious distinction of registering the highest number of cases of atrocities against women.
  The knee-jerk reaction is to dismiss such training as faddish and of dubious value.
  It has the dubious distinction of being probably the only luxury hotel in the world to be blown up by a future prime minister of its own country.
  In fact, so entrenched was the belief in many quarters that official statistics were of dubious value to social researchers that the view took root that they were virtually worthless.
  If so, that would give Florida the dubious distinction of getting hit by four of the six most costly hurricanes on record within six weeks.
  It's all in a good cause, people used to say, but Elizabeth felt that almost any action she took at this point would be of dubious value.
  O'Toole holds the dubious distinction of seven Best Actor Oscar nominations without winning the actual Oscar.
  Tramore has drawn the short straw yet again and has the dubious distinction of hosting the final game of 2003 on Sunday, 28th December.
  Synonyms
  equivocal, ambiguous, indeterminate, indefinite, unclear, vague, imprecise, hazy, puzzling, enigmatic, cryptic

Derivatives

dubiously

adverbˈdjuːbɪəsli

Lorde frowned dubiously but before he could reply, there came a knock at the door.
Example sentencesExamples
- She watched as the three were tried, dubiously linked to the occult, and convicted of murder.
- The billionaires would be allowed to keep their dubiously acquired fortunes, and no inquest would be held into the state sell-offs that made them rich.
- Much of what Simpson says should encourage self-consciousness about the costs of an unthinking appeal to dubiously concrete subject positions.
- Well, there's an example of synergy right there, albeit synergy of a negative and dubiously profitable kind.

dubiousness

nounˈdjuːbɪəsnəsˈd(j)ubiəsnəs

All I got was a stuck record that repeated my misdemeanours in a tone of voice that left me in no doubt as to the dubiousness of my credentials, pedigree and character.
Example sentencesExamples
- My first reaction, frankly, is one of dubiousness.
- Let's hope the inevitable victory does not obscure the dubiousness of its origins.
- This was probably not the best time to take an online IQ test of dubious scientific value; considering the inherent dubiousness of IQ tests to begin with.
- ‘I think it would be best if I took my own daughter home,’ Mr. Ainsley responded briskly with a hint of dubiousness.

Origin

Mid 16th century (in sense 2): from Latin dubiosus, from dubium 'a doubt', neuter of dubius 'doubtful'.

doubt from Middle English:
In English doubt goes back to Latin dubitare ‘to hesitate, waver’, from dubium ‘doubt’ (from which dubious (mid 16th century) also derives). The immediate sources were French forms in which the -b- had been lost, and people never pronounced the b- in doubt—it was a learned spelling to show that the writer knew the original Latin word. The first doubting Thomas to refuse to believe something without proof was the apostle Thomas. In the biblical account Thomas refused to believe that Christ was risen again until he could see and touch the wounds inflicted during the Crucifixion.

Definition of dubious in US English:

dubious

adjectiveˈd(y)o͞obēəsˈd(j)ubiəs

1Hesitating or doubting.
Alex looked dubious, but complied
Example sentencesExamples
- I shrugged, probably dubious about the opportunity myself.
- I was pretty dubious about it when I was a journalist, but now I think it's remarkably ineffectual.
- To work the sanctions would have to be ‘short, sharp and painful’ but an official report was dubious about their effectiveness.
- However, councillors were dubious about visiting the site.
- I am also extremely dubious about grand projects.
- One direct result of this vicious circle was that many parents remained dubious about the quality of non-government education.
- ‘At first I was a bit dubious about going back to Bradford from Otley, but now I think the move is the best thing that we have ever done,’ he said.
- I was dubious about the composition project, until I heard the music.
- She was a bit dubious about it at first but now she is getting used to it and people adore her everywhere we go.
- And it is that part that, I think, we are a little dubious about.
- He is similarly dubious about the suggestion that the protests were incited by older activists.
- I was a little dubious about this tour from the outset.
- ‘I am very dubious about this sort of thing,’ added Dr Fitzpatrick.
- I'm not objecting to the Food Museum, of course, but I am somewhat dubious about the prospect of a hundred thousand visitors per year.
- He may have been dubious about some of the more outlandish changes that had occurred in journalism but it was always in a good-humoured way.
- I have become more dubious about the last point.
- ‘People who might be dubious about standing somewhere waiting for a bus may be more encouraged to do so if they know exactly when the bus is due,’ he said.
- Reading the script beforehand, I had been dubious about anyone performing it as a one-person show.
- They are deeply dubious about whether he has succeeded at all on most domestic issues.
- I'm just a bit more dubious about the odds of this happening than Hewitt.
Synonyms
doubtful, uncertain, unsure, in doubt, hesitant
2Not to be relied upon; suspect.
extremely dubious assumptions
Example sentencesExamples
- An important part of the answer, I think, lies in exposing a number of dubious assumptions about human psychology.
- Such claims, he contends, rely on slippery language and dubious assumptions.
- As I elucidated in the last section, misleading assumptions and dubious claims about western alienation abound.
- Finally, the model's dubious assumption is that current valuation levels are approximately correct.
- But here, as elsewhere, Smith's philosophical assumptions are highly dubious.
- Even if you make the dubious assumption that all of them were truly civilians, it is not surprising that so many died.
- Red-hot rage may seem in order when the country's values have been trampled upon by a government with a dubious claim to legitimacy.
- To postulate the reality of the latter is in fact very dubious, because it relies on a contestable empirical claim that simply cannot be sustained.
- However, those often rely on dubious assumptions.
- As such, it asks us to accept the dubious assumptions that interval returns are normally distributed and independent.
- The argument for higher charges makes a number of dubious assumptions.
- For some of these reports, Miller appears to have relied on highly dubious sources.
- Instead, a dubious logic pervades, upon which we base entire networks of conclusions and imperatives.
- They entail, furthermore, the dubious assumption that cultural change moves in only one direction: from top to bottom.
- An increasingly isolated figure, he has come to rely on authorities whose expertise in the relevant disciplines is dubious.
- The dirty little secret of the polling industry is that, all too often, its findings are based on flawed methodology and dubious assumptions.
- You are asking us to be careful about adopting assumptions which are founded on rather dubious ground and would subvert our intentions, good as they may be.
- Many of us were perhaps blinded by this hitherto unknown quality of sincerity, allowing it to eclipse the dubious methodologies upon which the plethora of information was based.
- Such a belief, the Senate report said, relied on the use of increasingly dubious sources and a dismissal of dissenting views.
- His democratic credentials are highly dubious and suspect.
Synonyms
suspicious, suspect, under suspicion, untrustworthy, unreliable, undependable, questionable
equivocal, ambiguous, indeterminate, indefinite, unclear, vague, imprecise, hazy, puzzling, enigmatic, cryptic
1. 2.1 Morally suspect.
  time-sharing has been brought into disrepute by dubious sales methods
  Example sentencesExamples
  Philosophy aims only at the truth, not at mere persuasion regardless of truth, which is a dubious enterprise in both its intentions and its methods.
  For a start, the whole idea of reciprocity and empowerment seems morally dubious to me.
  The credit industry has been accused of using ‘sneaky tricks and dubious sales practices’ to boost profits.
  Ray is not a good father, as evidenced by his empty fridge and dubious methods of interacting with his kids.
  Matters come to a head when the star is expelled from the team, leading to a climax at once disturbingly intense and morally dubious.
  It shows him as morally dubious - he wants the men to die so he can finish his book, but he pretends otherwise - and intellectually cold.
  Even those which are imaginative and intelligently put together are often morally dubious.
  Characters are rootless, without orientation, almost unaware that their behaviour is morally dubious.
  The result is a surreal, hypnotic journey into morally ambiguous territory, led by an increasingly dubious tour guide.
  Like Den, he gets involved in dubious deals with shady characters, and the source of his money is not always entirely clear.
  They weren't always on the side of good, and even when they were, they still regularly made morally dubious judgements, but they were always true to their natures.
  They are engaged in tax avoidance, which is entirely legal, though you might argue it's morally dubious.
  David Weinberger has some interesting things to say about the game, and the morally dubious world it allows you to enter.
  Last time I solved it myself by medically dubious methods and I'd rather not do that again!
  But the public interest would not be served by people of dubious motives giving false information by doctoring the official record.
  However, thanks to dubious sales techniques, it is widely mis-sold.
  He just enjoys exploring the morally dubious aspects of it, and exploring difficult situations.
  I listed at the beginning the most usual procedures used to provide assistance in conception, but deferred discussion of the two methods that are most morally dubious.
  The approach outline above seems to offer the best prospect for exposing the administration's dubious motives and methods.
  Before the war, the submarine was regarded as a morally dubious weapon, subject to international agreements.
  Synonyms
  suspicious, suspect, under suspicion, untrustworthy, unreliable, undependable, questionable
2. 2.2 Of questionable value.
  she earned the dubious distinction of being the lowest-paid teacher in the nation
  Example sentencesExamples
  It has the dubious distinction of being probably the only luxury hotel in the world to be blown up by a future prime minister of its own country.
  2004 will finish with a hat trick of games against the teams enjoying the dubious distinction of being below us in the league.
  Tramore has drawn the short straw yet again and has the dubious distinction of hosting the final game of 2003 on Sunday, 28th December.
  The knee-jerk reaction is to dismiss such training as faddish and of dubious value.
  For an extended look at the dubious value of a humanities education in particular see here.
  His primary sources include most if not all the standard references on the subject along with one or two of dubious value.
  If so, that would give Florida the dubious distinction of getting hit by four of the six most costly hurricanes on record within six weeks.
  On the flip side, the district has the dubious distinction of registering the highest number of cases of atrocities against women.
  In fact, so entrenched was the belief in many quarters that official statistics were of dubious value to social researchers that the view took root that they were virtually worthless.
  And it spends billions each year in social welfare programs that are endlessly duplicative and of dubious value.
  When it comes to sharing your faith, gimmicks are of dubious value.
  Another Horsforth man claimed the dubious distinction of becoming the first English serviceman to be captured by the Germans - just one day after war broke out.
  Aurillac, a lovely city at the foot of the Cantal mountains, has the dubious distinction of being the prefecture in France furthest from a motorway.
  For these reasons, reflective foil on board insulation is of dubious value.
  It's all in a good cause, people used to say, but Elizabeth felt that almost any action she took at this point would be of dubious value.
  O'Toole holds the dubious distinction of seven Best Actor Oscar nominations without winning the actual Oscar.
  The region has the dubious distinction of having Europe's worst service station.
  In a time of government cutbacks, as a tax-payer I am unconvinced that we need to fund more programs of dubious value.
  Is it perhaps yet another organisation designed to make money by providing endorsements of dubious value?
  In fact, it could be argued that 15 Minutes earns the dubious distinction of being the most cynical film ever made about cynicism.
  Synonyms
  equivocal, ambiguous, indeterminate, indefinite, unclear, vague, imprecise, hazy, puzzling, enigmatic, cryptic

Origin

Mid 16th century (in dubious (sense 2)): from Latin dubiosus, from dubium ‘a doubt’, neuter of dubius ‘doubtful’.

单词	dubious
释义	Definition of dubious in English: dubious adjective ˈdjuːbɪəsˈd(j)ubiəs 1Hesitating or doubting. I was rather dubious about the whole idea Example sentencesExamples I'm just a bit more dubious about the odds of this happening than Hewitt. ‘At first I was a bit dubious about going back to Bradford from Otley, but now I think the move is the best thing that we have ever done,’ he said. ‘I am very dubious about this sort of thing,’ added Dr Fitzpatrick. ‘People who might be dubious about standing somewhere waiting for a bus may be more encouraged to do so if they know exactly when the bus is due,’ he said. I was pretty dubious about it when I was a journalist, but now I think it's remarkably ineffectual. I was dubious about the composition project, until I heard the music. I have become more dubious about the last point. One direct result of this vicious circle was that many parents remained dubious about the quality of non-government education. However, councillors were dubious about visiting the site. And it is that part that, I think, we are a little dubious about. I am also extremely dubious about grand projects. They are deeply dubious about whether he has succeeded at all on most domestic issues. I shrugged, probably dubious about the opportunity myself. I'm not objecting to the Food Museum, of course, but I am somewhat dubious about the prospect of a hundred thousand visitors per year. She was a bit dubious about it at first but now she is getting used to it and people adore her everywhere we go. He may have been dubious about some of the more outlandish changes that had occurred in journalism but it was always in a good-humoured way. Reading the script beforehand, I had been dubious about anyone performing it as a one-person show. To work the sanctions would have to be ‘short, sharp and painful’ but an official report was dubious about their effectiveness. He is similarly dubious about the suggestion that the protests were incited by older activists. I was a little dubious about this tour from the outset. Synonyms doubtful, uncertain, unsure, in doubt, hesitant undecided, unsettled, unconfirmed, undetermined, indefinite, unresolved, up in the air wavering, vacillating, irresolute, in a quandary, in a dilemma, on the horns of a dilemma sceptical, suspicious informal iffy 2Not to be relied upon; suspect. extremely dubious assumptions Example sentencesExamples However, those often rely on dubious assumptions. Instead, a dubious logic pervades, upon which we base entire networks of conclusions and imperatives. They entail, furthermore, the dubious assumption that cultural change moves in only one direction: from top to bottom. As I elucidated in the last section, misleading assumptions and dubious claims about western alienation abound. As such, it asks us to accept the dubious assumptions that interval returns are normally distributed and independent. The argument for higher charges makes a number of dubious assumptions. For some of these reports, Miller appears to have relied on highly dubious sources. Such claims, he contends, rely on slippery language and dubious assumptions. An increasingly isolated figure, he has come to rely on authorities whose expertise in the relevant disciplines is dubious. Finally, the model's dubious assumption is that current valuation levels are approximately correct. Even if you make the dubious assumption that all of them were truly civilians, it is not surprising that so many died. The dirty little secret of the polling industry is that, all too often, its findings are based on flawed methodology and dubious assumptions. Such a belief, the Senate report said, relied on the use of increasingly dubious sources and a dismissal of dissenting views. You are asking us to be careful about adopting assumptions which are founded on rather dubious ground and would subvert our intentions, good as they may be. An important part of the answer, I think, lies in exposing a number of dubious assumptions about human psychology. Many of us were perhaps blinded by this hitherto unknown quality of sincerity, allowing it to eclipse the dubious methodologies upon which the plethora of information was based. Red-hot rage may seem in order when the country's values have been trampled upon by a government with a dubious claim to legitimacy. But here, as elsewhere, Smith's philosophical assumptions are highly dubious. His democratic credentials are highly dubious and suspect. To postulate the reality of the latter is in fact very dubious, because it relies on a contestable empirical claim that simply cannot be sustained. Synonyms suspicious, suspect, under suspicion, untrustworthy, unreliable, undependable, questionable equivocal, ambiguous, indeterminate, indefinite, unclear, vague, imprecise, hazy, puzzling, enigmatic, cryptic 2.1 Morally suspect. timeshare has been brought into disrepute by dubious sales methods Example sentencesExamples But the public interest would not be served by people of dubious motives giving false information by doctoring the official record. Ray is not a good father, as evidenced by his empty fridge and dubious methods of interacting with his kids. The result is a surreal, hypnotic journey into morally ambiguous territory, led by an increasingly dubious tour guide. Matters come to a head when the star is expelled from the team, leading to a climax at once disturbingly intense and morally dubious. Before the war, the submarine was regarded as a morally dubious weapon, subject to international agreements. For a start, the whole idea of reciprocity and empowerment seems morally dubious to me. However, thanks to dubious sales techniques, it is widely mis-sold. I listed at the beginning the most usual procedures used to provide assistance in conception, but deferred discussion of the two methods that are most morally dubious. David Weinberger has some interesting things to say about the game, and the morally dubious world it allows you to enter. Last time I solved it myself by medically dubious methods and I'd rather not do that again! Characters are rootless, without orientation, almost unaware that their behaviour is morally dubious. They are engaged in tax avoidance, which is entirely legal, though you might argue it's morally dubious. They weren't always on the side of good, and even when they were, they still regularly made morally dubious judgements, but they were always true to their natures. Like Den, he gets involved in dubious deals with shady characters, and the source of his money is not always entirely clear. The credit industry has been accused of using ‘sneaky tricks and dubious sales practices’ to boost profits. Philosophy aims only at the truth, not at mere persuasion regardless of truth, which is a dubious enterprise in both its intentions and its methods. Even those which are imaginative and intelligently put together are often morally dubious. He just enjoys exploring the morally dubious aspects of it, and exploring difficult situations. It shows him as morally dubious - he wants the men to die so he can finish his book, but he pretends otherwise - and intellectually cold. The approach outline above seems to offer the best prospect for exposing the administration's dubious motives and methods. Synonyms suspicious, suspect, under suspicion, untrustworthy, unreliable, undependable, questionable 2.2 Of questionable value. he holds the dubious distinction of being relegated with every club he has played for Example sentencesExamples The region has the dubious distinction of having Europe's worst service station. And it spends billions each year in social welfare programs that are endlessly duplicative and of dubious value. Another Horsforth man claimed the dubious distinction of becoming the first English serviceman to be captured by the Germans - just one day after war broke out. His primary sources include most if not all the standard references on the subject along with one or two of dubious value. 2004 will finish with a hat trick of games against the teams enjoying the dubious distinction of being below us in the league. When it comes to sharing your faith, gimmicks are of dubious value. Is it perhaps yet another organisation designed to make money by providing endorsements of dubious value? For these reasons, reflective foil on board insulation is of dubious value. In fact, it could be argued that 15 Minutes earns the dubious distinction of being the most cynical film ever made about cynicism. For an extended look at the dubious value of a humanities education in particular see here. In a time of government cutbacks, as a tax-payer I am unconvinced that we need to fund more programs of dubious value. Aurillac, a lovely city at the foot of the Cantal mountains, has the dubious distinction of being the prefecture in France furthest from a motorway. On the flip side, the district has the dubious distinction of registering the highest number of cases of atrocities against women. The knee-jerk reaction is to dismiss such training as faddish and of dubious value. It has the dubious distinction of being probably the only luxury hotel in the world to be blown up by a future prime minister of its own country. In fact, so entrenched was the belief in many quarters that official statistics were of dubious value to social researchers that the view took root that they were virtually worthless. If so, that would give Florida the dubious distinction of getting hit by four of the six most costly hurricanes on record within six weeks. It's all in a good cause, people used to say, but Elizabeth felt that almost any action she took at this point would be of dubious value. O'Toole holds the dubious distinction of seven Best Actor Oscar nominations without winning the actual Oscar. Tramore has drawn the short straw yet again and has the dubious distinction of hosting the final game of 2003 on Sunday, 28th December. Synonyms equivocal, ambiguous, indeterminate, indefinite, unclear, vague, imprecise, hazy, puzzling, enigmatic, cryptic Derivatives dubiously adverbˈdjuːbɪəsli Lorde frowned dubiously but before he could reply, there came a knock at the door. Example sentencesExamples She watched as the three were tried, dubiously linked to the occult, and convicted of murder. The billionaires would be allowed to keep their dubiously acquired fortunes, and no inquest would be held into the state sell-offs that made them rich. Much of what Simpson says should encourage self-consciousness about the costs of an unthinking appeal to dubiously concrete subject positions. Well, there's an example of synergy right there, albeit synergy of a negative and dubiously profitable kind. dubiousness nounˈdjuːbɪəsnəsˈd(j)ubiəsnəs All I got was a stuck record that repeated my misdemeanours in a tone of voice that left me in no doubt as to the dubiousness of my credentials, pedigree and character. Example sentencesExamples My first reaction, frankly, is one of dubiousness. Let's hope the inevitable victory does not obscure the dubiousness of its origins. This was probably not the best time to take an online IQ test of dubious scientific value; considering the inherent dubiousness of IQ tests to begin with. ‘I think it would be best if I took my own daughter home,’ Mr. Ainsley responded briskly with a hint of dubiousness. Origin Mid 16th century (in sense 2): from Latin dubiosus, from dubium 'a doubt', neuter of dubius 'doubtful'. doubt from Middle English: In English doubt goes back to Latin dubitare ‘to hesitate, waver’, from dubium ‘doubt’ (from which dubious (mid 16th century) also derives). The immediate sources were French forms in which the -b- had been lost, and people never pronounced the b- in doubt—it was a learned spelling to show that the writer knew the original Latin word. The first doubting Thomas to refuse to believe something without proof was the apostle Thomas. In the biblical account Thomas refused to believe that Christ was risen again until he could see and touch the wounds inflicted during the Crucifixion. Definition of dubious in US English: dubious adjectiveˈd(y)o͞obēəsˈd(j)ubiəs 1Hesitating or doubting. Alex looked dubious, but complied Example sentencesExamples I shrugged, probably dubious about the opportunity myself. I was pretty dubious about it when I was a journalist, but now I think it's remarkably ineffectual. To work the sanctions would have to be ‘short, sharp and painful’ but an official report was dubious about their effectiveness. However, councillors were dubious about visiting the site. I am also extremely dubious about grand projects. One direct result of this vicious circle was that many parents remained dubious about the quality of non-government education. ‘At first I was a bit dubious about going back to Bradford from Otley, but now I think the move is the best thing that we have ever done,’ he said. I was dubious about the composition project, until I heard the music. She was a bit dubious about it at first but now she is getting used to it and people adore her everywhere we go. And it is that part that, I think, we are a little dubious about. He is similarly dubious about the suggestion that the protests were incited by older activists. I was a little dubious about this tour from the outset. ‘I am very dubious about this sort of thing,’ added Dr Fitzpatrick. I'm not objecting to the Food Museum, of course, but I am somewhat dubious about the prospect of a hundred thousand visitors per year. He may have been dubious about some of the more outlandish changes that had occurred in journalism but it was always in a good-humoured way. I have become more dubious about the last point. ‘People who might be dubious about standing somewhere waiting for a bus may be more encouraged to do so if they know exactly when the bus is due,’ he said. Reading the script beforehand, I had been dubious about anyone performing it as a one-person show. They are deeply dubious about whether he has succeeded at all on most domestic issues. I'm just a bit more dubious about the odds of this happening than Hewitt. Synonyms doubtful, uncertain, unsure, in doubt, hesitant 2Not to be relied upon; suspect. extremely dubious assumptions Example sentencesExamples An important part of the answer, I think, lies in exposing a number of dubious assumptions about human psychology. Such claims, he contends, rely on slippery language and dubious assumptions. As I elucidated in the last section, misleading assumptions and dubious claims about western alienation abound. Finally, the model's dubious assumption is that current valuation levels are approximately correct. But here, as elsewhere, Smith's philosophical assumptions are highly dubious. Even if you make the dubious assumption that all of them were truly civilians, it is not surprising that so many died. Red-hot rage may seem in order when the country's values have been trampled upon by a government with a dubious claim to legitimacy. To postulate the reality of the latter is in fact very dubious, because it relies on a contestable empirical claim that simply cannot be sustained. However, those often rely on dubious assumptions. As such, it asks us to accept the dubious assumptions that interval returns are normally distributed and independent. The argument for higher charges makes a number of dubious assumptions. For some of these reports, Miller appears to have relied on highly dubious sources. Instead, a dubious logic pervades, upon which we base entire networks of conclusions and imperatives. They entail, furthermore, the dubious assumption that cultural change moves in only one direction: from top to bottom. An increasingly isolated figure, he has come to rely on authorities whose expertise in the relevant disciplines is dubious. The dirty little secret of the polling industry is that, all too often, its findings are based on flawed methodology and dubious assumptions. You are asking us to be careful about adopting assumptions which are founded on rather dubious ground and would subvert our intentions, good as they may be. Many of us were perhaps blinded by this hitherto unknown quality of sincerity, allowing it to eclipse the dubious methodologies upon which the plethora of information was based. Such a belief, the Senate report said, relied on the use of increasingly dubious sources and a dismissal of dissenting views. His democratic credentials are highly dubious and suspect. Synonyms suspicious, suspect, under suspicion, untrustworthy, unreliable, undependable, questionable equivocal, ambiguous, indeterminate, indefinite, unclear, vague, imprecise, hazy, puzzling, enigmatic, cryptic 2.1 Morally suspect. time-sharing has been brought into disrepute by dubious sales methods Example sentencesExamples Philosophy aims only at the truth, not at mere persuasion regardless of truth, which is a dubious enterprise in both its intentions and its methods. For a start, the whole idea of reciprocity and empowerment seems morally dubious to me. The credit industry has been accused of using ‘sneaky tricks and dubious sales practices’ to boost profits. Ray is not a good father, as evidenced by his empty fridge and dubious methods of interacting with his kids. Matters come to a head when the star is expelled from the team, leading to a climax at once disturbingly intense and morally dubious. It shows him as morally dubious - he wants the men to die so he can finish his book, but he pretends otherwise - and intellectually cold. Even those which are imaginative and intelligently put together are often morally dubious. Characters are rootless, without orientation, almost unaware that their behaviour is morally dubious. The result is a surreal, hypnotic journey into morally ambiguous territory, led by an increasingly dubious tour guide. Like Den, he gets involved in dubious deals with shady characters, and the source of his money is not always entirely clear. They weren't always on the side of good, and even when they were, they still regularly made morally dubious judgements, but they were always true to their natures. They are engaged in tax avoidance, which is entirely legal, though you might argue it's morally dubious. David Weinberger has some interesting things to say about the game, and the morally dubious world it allows you to enter. Last time I solved it myself by medically dubious methods and I'd rather not do that again! But the public interest would not be served by people of dubious motives giving false information by doctoring the official record. However, thanks to dubious sales techniques, it is widely mis-sold. He just enjoys exploring the morally dubious aspects of it, and exploring difficult situations. I listed at the beginning the most usual procedures used to provide assistance in conception, but deferred discussion of the two methods that are most morally dubious. The approach outline above seems to offer the best prospect for exposing the administration's dubious motives and methods. Before the war, the submarine was regarded as a morally dubious weapon, subject to international agreements. Synonyms suspicious, suspect, under suspicion, untrustworthy, unreliable, undependable, questionable 2.2 Of questionable value. she earned the dubious distinction of being the lowest-paid teacher in the nation Example sentencesExamples It has the dubious distinction of being probably the only luxury hotel in the world to be blown up by a future prime minister of its own country. 2004 will finish with a hat trick of games against the teams enjoying the dubious distinction of being below us in the league. Tramore has drawn the short straw yet again and has the dubious distinction of hosting the final game of 2003 on Sunday, 28th December. The knee-jerk reaction is to dismiss such training as faddish and of dubious value. For an extended look at the dubious value of a humanities education in particular see here. His primary sources include most if not all the standard references on the subject along with one or two of dubious value. If so, that would give Florida the dubious distinction of getting hit by four of the six most costly hurricanes on record within six weeks. On the flip side, the district has the dubious distinction of registering the highest number of cases of atrocities against women. In fact, so entrenched was the belief in many quarters that official statistics were of dubious value to social researchers that the view took root that they were virtually worthless. And it spends billions each year in social welfare programs that are endlessly duplicative and of dubious value. When it comes to sharing your faith, gimmicks are of dubious value. Another Horsforth man claimed the dubious distinction of becoming the first English serviceman to be captured by the Germans - just one day after war broke out. Aurillac, a lovely city at the foot of the Cantal mountains, has the dubious distinction of being the prefecture in France furthest from a motorway. For these reasons, reflective foil on board insulation is of dubious value. It's all in a good cause, people used to say, but Elizabeth felt that almost any action she took at this point would be of dubious value. O'Toole holds the dubious distinction of seven Best Actor Oscar nominations without winning the actual Oscar. The region has the dubious distinction of having Europe's worst service station. In a time of government cutbacks, as a tax-payer I am unconvinced that we need to fund more programs of dubious value. Is it perhaps yet another organisation designed to make money by providing endorsements of dubious value? In fact, it could be argued that 15 Minutes earns the dubious distinction of being the most cynical film ever made about cynicism. Synonyms equivocal, ambiguous, indeterminate, indefinite, unclear, vague, imprecise, hazy, puzzling, enigmatic, cryptic Origin Mid 16th century (in dubious (sense 2)): from Latin dubiosus, from dubium ‘a doubt’, neuter of dubius ‘doubtful’.
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