ˈd(y)übēəs adjective
Etymology: Latin dubius, from dubare to doubt, vacillate, from duo two — more at two
1. : occasioning doubt : equivocal , uncertain , undetermined
what one finds certain and indubitable in the situation, the other finds dubious or downright false — S.C.Pepper
2.
a. : being in doubt : unsettled in opinion : doubtful , questioning , undecided
he had never heard of me and was a little dubious about signing his name — Henry Miller
she was nervous and dubious about the project
b. : expressive of doubt or uncertainty
this loyalty … does not become shaky or dubious as the years pass — D.F.Miller
3. : of doubtful promise or uncertain outcome : unpromising , unlikely
seemed the most promising of all the dubious solutions presented
a dubious and potentially dangerous gift — Vera M. Dean
I was a dubious scholastic risk — Sidney Lovett
4. : characterized by qualities that occasion suspicion, mistrust, disparaging suggestion, or hesitation : questionable as to value, quality, origin, or character : open to question
spies, traitors, or others of dubious reliability and patriotism — R.E.Cushman
rhetorically effective, but of dubious value scientifically — M.R.Cohen
if not actually disreputable, was at best a dubious figure — S.H.Adams
Synonyms: see doubtful