Fishiness

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The quality or state of being suspicious or untrustworthy
2. A condition characterized by something seeming odd or not quite right
3. The overall impression that something is questionable or possibly deceitful

Etymology: "Fishiness" is a straightforward formation: the adjective "fishy" with the suffix "-ness" attached, turning a quality into a noun. The suffix itself is very old, descending from Old English "-nes" and ultimately from a Proto-Germanic form that also gave English words like "darkness" and "goodness." The adjective "fishy" is where the sense comes from. It originally meant literally "of or like fish," describing a smell, taste or appearance. The figurative sense of something being suspicious or off, the idea that a story or deal "smells fishy," developed from that sensory base, so "fishiness" names the quality of seeming dubious rather than the quality of being fish-like.

Synonyms: suspicion, doubt, questionability

Antonyms: trustworthiness, reliability