dubious, a.
(ˈdjuːbɪəs)
[ad. L. dubiōs-us doubtful, f. dubium doubt, neuter of dubius doubtful.]
1. Objectively doubtful; fraught with doubt or uncertainty; uncertain, undetermined; indistinct, ambiguous, vague.
| 1548 Hall Chron., Edw. IV, 208 To abide the fortune of battayle, which is ever dubious and uncertayne. 1662 Stillingfl. Orig. Sacr. i. iii. §8 In what year of his raign, is very dubious. 1725 Watts Logic ii. ii. §8 Dubious propositions..are distinguished into probable, or improbable. 1769 Robertson Chas. V, III. viii. 100 He joins a dubious friend against a known benefactor. 1813 Busby tr. Lucretius Life, The faint and dubious rays of crepuscular light. 1868 Stanley Westm. Abbey iv. 350 A dubious honour. |
b. Of uncertain issue or result.
| 1635 J. Hayward tr. Biondi's Banish'd Virg. 181 The fight was no lesse dubious than dangerous. 1667 Milton P.L. i. 104 His utmost power..oppos'd In dubious Battel on the Plains of Heav'n. 1875 Helps Ess., Self-Disc. 16 A dubious deadly struggle which had terminated in his favour. |
† c. Old Chem. dubious acids: see quot. Obs.
| 1727–51 Chambers Cycl. s.v. Acid, Dubious or Latent Acids, are those which do not possess enough of the Acid nature to give sensible marks thereof on the taste, but agree with the manifest Acids in some other properties. |
d. Of questionable or suspected character.
| 1860 Tyndall Glac. i. iii. 25 A large bed, covered with clothes of the most dubious black-brown hue. 1884 L. J. Jennings in Croker Papers I. vi. 158 She had been absent from England..oftentimes in very dubious company. 1893 Bookman, June 83/1 Having got into evil odour by their dubious gains. |
2. Subjectively doubtful; wavering or fluctuating in opinion; hesitating; inclined to doubt.
| 1632 J. Hayward tr. Biondi's Eromena 189 Though I beleeve..yet am I somewhat dubious in beleeving. 1710 Norris Chr. Prud. v. 220 Uncertain Ballancings and Fluctuations of a dubious Will. 1865 M. E. Braddon Sir Jasper I. ii. 40 [She] raised her eyebrows with a dubious expression. 1874 Helps Soc. Press. xiv. 198 I followed them, dubious as to whether I should ultimately interfere. |