Feeling unsure or doubtful about something, or describing something that seems questionable, suspicious, or not completely honest or reliable.
From Latin 'dubiosus' meaning 'doubtful, uncertain', from 'dubius' meaning 'doubtful'. It entered English via Late Latin and French. The word carried over both the sense of personal doubt and of something being of doubtful quality.
Calling a claim 'dubious' is more polite than calling it 'false'—you’re flagging doubt without fully attacking. The word often hides a social move: it lets you distance yourself from something without directly confronting it. Linguistically, it's a velvet glove over skepticism.
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