Etymologically
Log in

dodgy

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 31 October 2026 at 22:51. This address is a permanent link to this version.
Changes in this edit History

Pronunciation

  • /ˈdɒd͡ʒ.i/[1]

Etymology

It is formed from English dodge + -y,[2][3][4][5] from the noun dodge, a trick, according to the OED and Etymonline, or from the verb according to the Shorter Oxford.[2][4][3] The origin of dodge itself is unknown: the verb is recorded only from the 16th century, and the OED cites an older comparison with a Scots dialect verb dodd (“to jog”), though the sound change is not clear.[2][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Given to dodges or tricks; evasive, artful: 1861, in A. Wynter's Our Social Bees.[2][6] Etymonline dates it to 1855.[4]

Semantic evolution

From people full of tricks the word passed in colloquial use to things that are tricky or awkward to deal with, by the late 19th century in the Shorter Oxford.[3][2] The now usual British sense, of poor quality, unreliable or of doubtful honesty, is recorded from 1961.[2][6] Collins labels it informal in British, Australian and New Zealand English.[7]

Timeline

  • 1861 – evasive, tricky, artful.[2][6] Etymonline dates the word to 1855.[4]
  • late 19th century – risky, awkward, difficult.[3]
  • 1961 – unreliable, of poor quality, dubious.[2]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. (chiefly British, informal) Not reliable or sound; of doubtful quality or honesty: a dodgy second-hand car.[7][6][2]
  2. (chiefly British, informal) Risky, difficult or needing care.[7][6][3]
  3. Full of tricks; evasive or artful.[6][2][3]

Word family

  • dodginess

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Oxford English Dictionary Online (accessed March 2026), Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c d e f Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles (2002), 5th ed., ed. William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, Oxford: Oxford University Press
  4. ^ a b c d e Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  5. ^ Dictionary.com Unabridged (2016), based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, New York: Random House
  6. ^ a b c d e f Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  7. ^ a b c Collins English Dictionary (2023), Glasgow: HarperCollins