Fishy
adjective
Something seems suspicious or doubtful. It gives the feeling something is wrong, usually dishonest or illegal.
Alice didn't trust the offer, it seemed too good to be true, somewhat fishy.
Often appears as...
- something smells fishy
- something sounds fishy
Usage tips
Disapproving
Informal
adjective
Having a strong or unpleasant smell of fish.
She didn't eat the fish because it had a fishy smell.
Often appears as...
- fishy smell
- fishy taste
adjective
Something seems suspicious or doubtful. It gives the feeling something is wrong, usually dishonest or illegal.
Alice didn't trust the offer, it seemed too good to be true, somewhat fishy.
Often appears as...
- something smells fishy
- something sounds fishy
Usage tips
Disapproving
Informal
adjective
Having a strong or unpleasant smell of fish.
She didn't eat the fish because it had a fishy smell.
Often appears as...
- fishy smell
- fishy taste
Definition 1 of 2
Pro Tip 1/3Trust Your Gut
Use 'fishy' when you have an intuition that something isn't right, often without clear evidence.
He offered to fix my car for free, which felt fishy.
Pro Tip 2/3Informal Suspicion
'Fishy' is often used in casual conversation rather than formal situations.
When she paid in all cash, the deal started to seem fishy.
Pro Tip 3/3Detective Work
Think of 'fishy' to describe scenarios like those in mystery novels, where motives are questionable.
The alibi he gave the police was fishy.
Pro Tip 1/3Trust Your Gut
Use 'fishy' when you have an intuition that something isn't right, often without clear evidence.
He offered to fix my car for free, which felt fishy.
Pro Tip 2/3Informal Suspicion
'Fishy' is often used in casual conversation rather than formal situations.
When she paid in all cash, the deal started to seem fishy.
Pro Tip 3/3Detective Work
Think of 'fishy' to describe scenarios like those in mystery novels, where motives are questionable.
The alibi he gave the police was fishy.
Pro Tip 1/3Trust Your Gut
Use 'fishy' when you have an intuition that something isn't right, often without clear evidence.
He offered to fix my car for free, which felt fishy.
Pro Tip 2/3Informal Suspicion
'Fishy' is often used in casual conversation rather than formal situations.
When she paid in all cash, the deal started to seem fishy.
Pro Tip 3/3Detective Work
Think of 'fishy' to describe scenarios like those in mystery novels, where motives are questionable.
The alibi he gave the police was fishy.
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Video examples
Watch the Total Solar...
photographer let's see what they have to say hey y'all it's dr. today too I swear I'm an observational astrophysicist and a lover of the night sky I'm so excited about what's gonna happen fall back to fishy I'm a night sky photographer working with National Geographic and the founder of the world
Video examples
How optical illusions...
But when we flipped the whole image over, the most important parts of the face, the eyes and mouth, were now upside down, and you realized something fishy was up. You realized your brain had taken a short cut and missed something. But your brain wasn't really being lazy, it's just very busy.
Video examples
Octopus Kills Shark PIPE...
all great for mom and dad and the whole family who come to see the octopus except there are sharks in this tank as well sharks that are voracious predators and opportunistic feeders and that have been known to veer from their usual fishy diets to munch on an occasional
Video examples
Shark vs Octopus PIPE...
all great for mom and dad and the whole family who come to see the octopus except there are sharks in this tank as well sharks that are voracious predators and opportunistic feeders and that have been known to veer from their usual fishy diets to munch on an occasional
Video examples
Enter the Fish Hawk PIPE...
glossy had called me and said you want to go to an efficient i drop rate what I was doing I went right down the boat we got the boat rigged up brad is a fish maniac if it has a tail he has a hook he's just a fishy fishy guy very good
Video examples
How I help free innocent...
Usain Bolt couldn't have run from where she said she was to the other spot. Right? So we knew that wasn't true. So it still didn't mean that he didn't do it, but we knew something was maybe fishy about this witness.
Video examples
Sleeping with Penguins PIPE...
describe that to you imagine the worst fishy cat food in the world but in the airing cupboard for three days and then spread liberally on a beach in Antarctica and you pretty much got it oh
Video examples
Dolphin Parenting PIPE...
back giving them a clear idea of what fishy delights lie beneath the surface as mom looks for food her calf continues to mimic her every move another technique for the young wants to master
Video examples
A letter to all who have...
where the global super-rich turn fishy money into empty apartments and price lifelong residents of a city, young couples starting out, out of their own home.
Video examples
Animal Winter Games:...
has had enough he charges fishy adolescent further and further back
Video examples
Watch the Total Solar...
photographer let's see what they have to say hey y'all it's dr. today too I swear I'm an observational astrophysicist and a lover of the night sky I'm so excited about what's gonna happen fall back to fishy I'm a night sky photographer working with National Geographic and the founder of the world
Video examples
How optical illusions...
But when we flipped the whole image over, the most important parts of the face, the eyes and mouth, were now upside down, and you realized something fishy was up. You realized your brain had taken a short cut and missed something. But your brain wasn't really being lazy, it's just very busy.
Video examples
Octopus Kills Shark PIPE...
all great for mom and dad and the whole family who come to see the octopus except there are sharks in this tank as well sharks that are voracious predators and opportunistic feeders and that have been known to veer from their usual fishy diets to munch on an occasional
Video examples
Shark vs Octopus PIPE...
all great for mom and dad and the whole family who come to see the octopus except there are sharks in this tank as well sharks that are voracious predators and opportunistic feeders and that have been known to veer from their usual fishy diets to munch on an occasional
Video examples
Enter the Fish Hawk PIPE...
glossy had called me and said you want to go to an efficient i drop rate what I was doing I went right down the boat we got the boat rigged up brad is a fish maniac if it has a tail he has a hook he's just a fishy fishy guy very good
Video examples
How I help free innocent...
Usain Bolt couldn't have run from where she said she was to the other spot. Right? So we knew that wasn't true. So it still didn't mean that he didn't do it, but we knew something was maybe fishy about this witness.
Video examples
Sleeping with Penguins PIPE...
describe that to you imagine the worst fishy cat food in the world but in the airing cupboard for three days and then spread liberally on a beach in Antarctica and you pretty much got it oh
Video examples
Dolphin Parenting PIPE...
back giving them a clear idea of what fishy delights lie beneath the surface as mom looks for food her calf continues to mimic her every move another technique for the young wants to master
Video examples
A letter to all who have...
where the global super-rich turn fishy money into empty apartments and price lifelong residents of a city, young couples starting out, out of their own home.
Video examples
Animal Winter Games:...
has had enough he charges fishy adolescent further and further back
Example 1 of 10
Quote examples
Adrian Nicole LeBlanc
American Journalist
As a reader, when the writer gets sentimental, you drift, because there's something fishy going on there. You recognize a moment that's largely about the writer and the writer's own need to believe in something that might not in fact exist. As a reader, you think, 'Where did the story go? Where did the person I'm reading about go?
Quote examples
Nell Scovell
American Journalist
When blue-eyed Donald Trump married hazel-eyed Ivana Zelnickova, he probably figured his broad-shouldered DNA would dominate her girly alleles. But genetics played a cruel trick on Trump: Of the couple's three children, only the youngest, Eric, wound up with his father's fishy blue eyes.
Quote examples
Masaharu Morimoto
Japanese Chef
Right after I graduated high school, I joined a sushi restaurant to learn how to make Japanese food. And then spent seven years. Then that time - that's enough. Then sushi restaurant - butchering fish and they make your body smell like fishy.
Quote examples
Tomi Lahren
American Journalist
I think there are a lot of circumstances that surround the Clinton family that aren't explainable, and I will let people go on and research it for themselves. And if they think there is something fishy going on, leave it to them.
Quote examples
Tyler Perry
American Actor
When I was a kid, I had asthma, so I would have to take cod liver oil all the time. So anything fishy that reminds me of that taste, I can't eat. I love Chilean sea bass because I don't taste it there. But salmon? No, no, no.
Quote examples
Yotam Ottolenghi
Israeli Chef
Most fish require a short cooking time, but cephalopods are the exception to this fishy rule. As with some cuts of larger land beasts, the longer they're cooked, the more tender they get.
Quote examples
Claire Saffitz
American Editor
If anything betrays my Ashkenazi Jewish heritage - besides the Casper-the-friendly-ghost-like skin tone - it's my love of fishy fish.
Quote examples
Greg McHugh
Scottish Actor
I do have very high customer service standards - I'd send back sushi because it's too fishy.
Quote examples
Ira Glass
American Journalist
In most daily journalism, you only fact-check something if it seems a little fishy.
Quote examples
Noel Coward
English Playwright
There's always something fishy about the French.
Quote examples
Adrian Nicole LeBlanc
American Journalist
As a reader, when the writer gets sentimental, you drift, because there's something fishy going on there. You recognize a moment that's largely about the writer and the writer's own need to believe in something that might not in fact exist. As a reader, you think, 'Where did the story go? Where did the person I'm reading about go?
Quote examples
Nell Scovell
American Journalist
When blue-eyed Donald Trump married hazel-eyed Ivana Zelnickova, he probably figured his broad-shouldered DNA would dominate her girly alleles. But genetics played a cruel trick on Trump: Of the couple's three children, only the youngest, Eric, wound up with his father's fishy blue eyes.
Quote examples
Masaharu Morimoto
Japanese Chef
Right after I graduated high school, I joined a sushi restaurant to learn how to make Japanese food. And then spent seven years. Then that time - that's enough. Then sushi restaurant - butchering fish and they make your body smell like fishy.
Quote examples
Tomi Lahren
American Journalist
I think there are a lot of circumstances that surround the Clinton family that aren't explainable, and I will let people go on and research it for themselves. And if they think there is something fishy going on, leave it to them.
Quote examples
Tyler Perry
American Actor
When I was a kid, I had asthma, so I would have to take cod liver oil all the time. So anything fishy that reminds me of that taste, I can't eat. I love Chilean sea bass because I don't taste it there. But salmon? No, no, no.
Quote examples
Yotam Ottolenghi
Israeli Chef
Most fish require a short cooking time, but cephalopods are the exception to this fishy rule. As with some cuts of larger land beasts, the longer they're cooked, the more tender they get.
Quote examples
Claire Saffitz
American Editor
If anything betrays my Ashkenazi Jewish heritage - besides the Casper-the-friendly-ghost-like skin tone - it's my love of fishy fish.
Quote examples
Greg McHugh
Scottish Actor
I do have very high customer service standards - I'd send back sushi because it's too fishy.
Quote examples
Ira Glass
American Journalist
In most daily journalism, you only fact-check something if it seems a little fishy.
Quote examples
Noel Coward
English Playwright
There's always something fishy about the French.
Example 1 of 10
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