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# dubiously

adverb

«dubiously» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. In a doubtful way, showing you are not sure something is true, good or safe. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dubiously/#m1)
2. In a way that is not quite honest or that people suspect. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dubiously/#m2)

### In the lessons

It shows a character's doubt: someone looks, asks or answers dubiously when they don't believe or trust what they hear. Common with «look», «say», «eye», «sniff». In stories it often comes when a strange plan is suggested, for example when Mole or Rat look dubiously at Toad's latest craze.

### Examples

- Mia looked dubiously at the green soup. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dubiously/#x1)
- «Are you sure this is the right way?» asked Dad dubiously. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dubiously/#x2)
- The cat sniffed the new food dubiously and walked away. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dubiously/#x3)
- Rat eyed Toad's shiny new cart dubiously. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dubiously/#x4)
- Alice looked dubiously at the bottle marked «DRINK ME». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dubiously/#x5)
- He was dubiously quiet when Mum asked who had eaten the cake. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dubiously/#x6)
- The teacher dubiously accepted the excuse about the dog eating the homework. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dubiously/#x7)
- "Well, no," replied the little boy, dubiously. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dubiously/#x8)

### Note

Adverb from «dubious» (doubtful; or not to be trusted). Pronounced DYOO-bee-us-lee. Similar: doubtfully, uncertainly, warily. «Dubious» can describe the person who doubts or the thing that is doubtful (a dubious excuse).

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «dubiously» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dubiously/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«dubiously» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/dubiously.html) on Mova free.