fishier; fishiest
1
: of or resembling fish especially in taste or odor
2
: creating doubt or suspicion : questionable

Examples of fishy in a Sentence

There's something fishy about that guy. something's fishy about the way he's acting
Recent Examples on the Web Other characters soon enter the picture, including Jim Doty, Ryan Avis and Tony Kava, a trio of Iowa law enforcers who smell something fishy and start doing the legwork (or, in the case of Kava, an eccentric hacker, the computer work) to prove their hunches. Chris Vognar, Rolling Stone, 9 Feb. 2024 There’s something fishy about this black-and-white cookie. Florence Fabricant, New York Times, 26 Dec. 2023 Investigators were curious; the timing of the letters seemed fishy. Dexter Filkins, The New Yorker, 19 Feb. 2024 With Christians abstaining from meat on Fridays during Lent, things are about to get fishy in the Louisville area. Marina Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 16 Feb. 2024 But if the call seems fishy, just hang up and reach out directly via the Amazon app or website. Ron Lieber, New York Times, 16 Feb. 2024 Critics again pointed to data that looked fishy, and after outside reviewers took a closer look, the editors of the journal agreed. Kenneth Chang, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2023 To ensure that nothing, even skin, gets between the couple, the bodies fuse bloodstreams, and the male’s fishy form slowly withers away. Max Bennett, Discover Magazine, 15 Jan. 2024 Side effects are minimal but can include a fishy taste or fishy breath, nausea, heartburn, or diarrhea. Avery Hurt, Discover Magazine, 3 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fishy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of fishy was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near fishy

Cite this Entry

“Fishy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fishy. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

fishy

adjective
fishier; fishiest
1
: of, relating to, or resembling fish
a fishy odor
2
: arousing doubt or suspicion : questionable
the story sounds fishy to me

More from Merriam-Webster on fishy

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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