Dodgier

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Having a higher likelihood of being dishonest, unsafe, or unreliable
2. Exhibiting greater potential for risk, doubtfulness, or untrustworthiness
3. Showing increased chances of trouble, suspicion, or questionable behavior

Etymology: Dodgier is the comparative of "dodgy," so it means more dodgy: more likely to be shady, unreliable or dishonest. The base word is built from "dodge," the verb meaning to move quickly aside to avoid something, plus the suffix "-y," which turns a noun or verb into an adjective describing a quality. A dodgy deal is therefore one that has been arranged to avoid scrutiny, much as a person who dodges a question sidesteps it. The adjective first appeared in England in the mid-19th century, and its meaning moved from the physical act of evading a blow or a pursuer toward the sense of evasiveness in matters of character and business. The comparative follows the usual English pattern: the "-y" ending is changed to "-ier" when the word is made more comparative, giving "dodgier" and, for the superlative, "dodgiest."

Synonyms: shadier, sneakier, trickier, deceptive, untrustworthy

Antonyms: trustworthy, reliable, honest, straightforward, open