fishy

adjective

ˈfi-shē 

fishier; fishiest

1

: of or resembling fish especially in taste or odor

2

: creating doubt or suspicion : questionable

Synonyms

• debatable
• disputable
• dodgy [chiefly British]
• doubtable
• doubtful
• dubious
• dubitable
• equivocal
• problematic
• problematical
• queer
• questionable
• shady
• shaky
• suspect
• suspicious

Examples of fishy in a Sentence

There's something fishy about that guy.

something's fishy about the way he's acting

Recent Examples on the Web

Be vigilant Following a breach, monitor your credit card statements for any fishy charges, even if the process seems tedious, says Skoudis. —Ryan Ermey, CNBC, 30 July 2024

Side effects reported with carnitine include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and a fishy body odor.1 5. —Kirstyn Hill, Pharmd, Mph, Health, 20 Nov. 2024

In all, fishy, fraudulent practices make domestic conservation and ecological monitoring more difficult and can enable unsustainable practices elsewhere. —Lauren Leffer, Popular Science, 6 Nov. 2024

Flamingos get their signature pink hue by eating shrimp, while boobies’ feet turn bright blue because of their fishy diets. —Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

fishy

adjective

ˈfish-ē 

fishier; fishiest

1

: of, relating to, or resembling fish

a fishy odor

2

: arousing doubt or suspicion : questionable

the story sounds fishy to me