Definition
Questionable, suspicious, or unreliable; not quite trustworthy or potentially risky. Can describe people, situations, plans, or information that seem shady or incomplete.
Example Usage
That deal sounds sketchy to me—I'd rather not get involved.
Origin
From the adjective 'sketch,' meaning rough or incomplete (as in a sketch drawing), extended to mean morally or logically incomplete, hence suspicious.
Fun Fact
The term gained wider popularity in the 1980s-90s among skateboard and surf cultures in California before going mainstream.
Source: Definition backfill (hailey)
Related Terms
Translate This Term
See “sketchy” in Corporate Speak, Gen-Z Slang, Pirate Speak, and more.
Try the Translator