Sketchy

Sketchy (adjective / US Slang)

(Also heard as: Sketch, Kind of sketchy, Sketchy AF)

Definition:

Sketchy means suspicious, untrustworthy, unsafe or shady. A “sketchy” person or place makes you uneasy.

Where Sketchy Comes From:

It comes from “sketch”, meaning a rough outline, so something sketchy is vague and not fully reliable. By the 1970s American slang used it for questionable or dodgy things.

How People Actually Use Sketchy:

Used for places, people and plans that feel unsafe or dishonest: “a sketchy neighbourhood”, “a sketchy website”. It can also be shortened to “sketch”.

Is Sketchy Rude?

Not rude, but calling a person sketchy is a mild accusation of being untrustworthy.

Examples in the Wild:

• “That website looks really sketchy.”Meaning: That website looks untrustworthy.
• “I wouldn’t walk through there at night, it’s sketchy.”Meaning: It feels unsafe there at night.
• “He gave me a sketchy answer.”Meaning: His answer was vague and made me doubt him.

Similar Slang:

Dodgy, Sus, Cap, Cooked

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