All 4 Uses of
dubious
in
Moby Dick
- It was a very dubious-looking, nay, a very dark and dismal night, bitingly cold and cheerless.†
Chpt 1-3
- "Those sailors we saw, Queequeg, where can they have gone to?" said I, looking dubiously at the sleeper.†
Chpt 19-21 *
- Whether to admit Hercules among us or not, concerning this I long remained dubious: for though according to the Greek mythologies, that antique Crockett and Kit Carson—that brawny doer of rejoicing good deeds, was swallowed down and thrown up by a whale; still, whether that strictly makes a whaleman of him, that might be mooted.†
Chpt 82-84
- Such an added, gliding strangeness began to invest the thin Fedallah now; such ceaseless shudderings shook him; that the men looked dubious at him; half uncertain, as it seemed, whether indeed he were a mortal substance, or else a tremulous shadow cast upon the deck by some unseen being's body.†
Chpt 130-132
Definition:
-
(dubious) doubtfulin various senses, including:
- questionable or doubtful that something should be relied upon -- as in "The argument relies on a dubious assumption."
- suspicious or doubtful that something is morally proper -- as in "The company is accused of using dubious sales practices to influence minors."
- bad or of questionable value -- as in "The state has the dubious distinction of the highest taxes."
- uncertain or doubtful -- as in "She is dubious about making the change."