All words

dubious

Meaning

Giving rise to uncertainty or suspicion; of questionable character or authenticity.

Examples by difficulty

Basic: Simple, everyday vocabulary — the easiest to read.

Maria was dubious about joining the new soccer team. She wanted to play but did not feel sure if she would fit in with the other kids. Her unsettled opinion made her nervous as she watched the team practice from the side of the field.

He looked at the winning lottery ticket, but his stomach twisted. The numbers matched, yet he felt deeply unsettled in his opinion. He was doubtful if this was real, if this incredible luck could actually be his.

He stared at the email, his hand hovering over the keyboard. The offer seemed too good to be true, and he felt dubious about accepting it. Something about the promise of quick money made him pause and wonder if this was really a legitimate opportunity.

When Jake saw his friend Bob trying to make pancakes with orange juice instead of milk, he gave a dubious look. Jake was unsettled in opinion—doubtful if Bob’s pancakes would taste good or cause everyone to turn into citrus-flavored zombies instead.

Barnaby eyed the wobbling tower of pancakes. He was, to say the least, doubtful about its structural integrity. Was it breakfast, or a delicious Jenga game waiting to happen? He was unsettled in his opinion; a truly dubious proposition.

Normal: Standard, everyday language.

I was feeling dubious about the new restaurant in town, unsure if it would live up to the hype.

Emma's claims about her involvement in the project were met with dubious responses. Her colleagues whispered among themselves, their expressions clouded with uncertainty. The contradictory details she provided raised suspicions, leaving them questioning the truthfulness of her account.

The old mansion stood shrouded in darkness, its windows boarded up and its walls covered in vines. The air was thick with a sense of unease as I cautiously made my way towards the creaking front door. Inside, the air was musty and stale, and every shadow seemed to hold a secret. As I crept through the dimly lit corridors, a sense of fear washed over me. Every step I took felt like a journey into the unknown, and the dubious feeling that I was not alone only grew stronger with each passing moment.

In the shadowy depths, a figure emerged from the abyss, its eyes glowing with an eerie luminescence. Its voice whispered like a perverse choir, casting a pall of doubt upon the withered souls that dared approach. The air thick with a pungent odor that gnawed at their sanity, their minds succumbed to the insidious whispers that sowed seeds of dubious intent.

In the ancient forest, whispers of a mysterious creature spread among the villagers. Some believed it to be a benevolent spirit, while others harbored dubious thoughts of its intentions. As night fell, the shadows deepened, and the air grew thick with anticipation. The villagers gathered around a crackling bonfire, their faces reflecting flickering flames of uncertainty. Suddenly, a rustling sound echoed through the trees, sending shivers down their spines. The dubious feeling in the pit of their stomachs intensified as the creature emerged from the darkness, its eyes gleaming with an otherworldly glow. The villagers held their breath, unsure of what would come next.

Advanced: Richer vocabulary that stretches an upper-level reader.

Anthony felt dubious about joining the new project since the last two had ended poorly. He watched his coworkers excitedly sign up while he lingered by the door, unsettled in opinion and doubtful that this would be any different from his previous disappointments.

He reread the supposed confession, a knot tightening in his stomach. The handwriting matched, but the phrasing felt wrong, too smooth, too clean. He was left unsettled in his opinion, genuinely doubtful that this was the whole truth.

Jack stared at the crumpled note, his expression dubious. The handwriting looked nothing like his friend's, and the claims about missing money seemed suspicious. He frowned, weighing whether to trust the message or dismiss it as another wild rumor circulating through their small office.

Shelly eyed the so-called “miracle” broccoli ice cream with a dubious expression, her eyebrows attempting to escape her hairline. She was unsettled in opinion, doubting anything green and chilly could qualify as dessert, especially after last summer’s disastrous experiment with sardine cupcakes.

Barnaby, after consuming an entire pizza and then attempting to juggle flaming torches, found himself quite dubious about his life choices. He swayed precariously, a single, questionable noodle dangling from his chin, wondering if a career as a professional juggler was truly feasible.

Challenging: Rare, high-register vocabulary for serious word lovers.

When Mark first heard the explanation for the missing funds, he felt dubious about its accuracy. The accountant’s nervous manner and vague answers only heightened Mark’s doubts, leaving him unsettled in opinion and uncertain whether the story matched the reality of the situation.

The prosecutor presented his case with undeniable conviction, yet a sliver of doubt persisted. I remained dubious, unable to wholly reconcile the presented evidence with my understanding of the man's character. His alibi felt a bit too convenient.

Tom listened to his friend's elaborate explanation about finding a rare artifact, feeling dubious about the story's veracity. The intricate details seemed too convenient, and the nervous way his friend avoided eye contact only heightened his skepticism about the entire account.

When Harold claimed he could juggle flaming pineapples while reciting the periodic table backwards, the crowd gazed at him with dubious expressions, their skepticism almost tangible. Even his pet iguana, Percival, seemed unsettled in opinion, tilting his head as if doubting Harold’s sanity entirely.

Professor Quibble, known for his eccentric pronouncements on subterranean fungi, offered a truly dubious explanation for why his toupee had spontaneously combusted. His audience, a mélange of bewildered academics and a lone, surprisingly stoic badger, remained unsettled in opinion, their expressions a study in polite, yet profound, doubt.

Difficulty

Normal — Everyday words worth reinforcing.

Appears in

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