Japanese

Adjective

疑わしい ‎(-i inflection, hiragana うたがわしい, romaji utagawashii, historical hiragana うたがはしい)

1. doubtful, uncertain
2. suspicious

Inflection

Related terms

• 疑 (うたが)う ‎(utagau): to doubt

Synonyms

• (unreliable, uncertain): 信用できない: 信用 (しんよう) ‎(shin'yō) (“confidence, faith”) + 出来 (でき)ない ‎(dekinai) (“cannot”); 不確実 (ふかくじつ) ‎(fukakujitsu)
• (questionable, dubious): 如何 (いかが)わしい ‎(ikagawashii); 怪 (あや)しい ‎(ayashii); 胡散臭 (うさんくさ)い ‎(usankusai); 訝 (いぶか)しい ‎(ibukashii)
• (indecent, obscene): 助平 (すけべい) ‎(sukebei); 下品 (げひん) ‎(gehin); 卑猥 (ひわい) ‎(hiwai); 淫 (みだ)ら ‎(midara)
• (shady, sly): いんちき ‎(inchiki); 怪 (あや)しげ ‎(ayashige); 胡散臭 (うさんくさ)い ‎(usankusai)

Usage notes

• 疑わしい implies something for which the true nature or quality isn't known, but that may be good or may be bad.
• 如何 (いかが)わしい ‎(ikagawashii) implies something that cannot be trusted, or that may be immoral.
• 怪 (あや)しい ‎(ayashii) implies something for which the true nature isn't known, and this uncertainty is a bad thing.
• 訝 (いぶか)しい ‎(ibukashii) implies something for which the true nature isn't known, and this uncertainty causes one to be curious.
• 胡散臭 (うさんくさ)い ‎(usankusai) implies something suspicious that draws attention.

References

1. 1 2 1988, 国語大辞典（新装版） (Kokugo Dai Jiten, Revised Edition) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan
2. 1 2 3 4 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, ISBN 4-385-13905-9