fishy

Everyday

1. Fishy means smelling or tasting of fish. tree →
2. (informal) Fishy means suspicious, as if something is wrong or someone is not telling the truth. tree →
3. Fishy can also mean like a fish or full of fish. tree →

In the lessons

In cooking, a fishy smell can mean fish is not fresh. In stories, especially mysteries, «something fishy is going on» tells the reader to be suspicious. In safety talk, a «fishy» online message may be a scam. Common phrases: «something fishy», «smell fishy», «a bit fishy», «fishy business», «fishy smell».

Examples

• The kitchen had a strong fishy smell after tea. tree →
• There's something fishy about that email asking for Mum's password. tree →
• His excuse sounded a bit fishy to the teacher. tree →
• The cat loved the fishy biscuits. tree →
• The detective thought the butler's story was fishy. tree →
• My hands smelled fishy after the beach. tree →
• This rock pool is very fishy — look at all those little fish! tree →

Note

Comparative: fishier, fishiest. The «suspicious» meaning is informal and very common. A «fishy» message online is a warning sign — do not click links or share passwords; tell an adult.