shady character

shady character

A dubious, suspicious, or potentially immoral or unlawful person. The security guard caught a shady character hanging around the back entrance to the warehouse. I've always thought he was a bit of a shady character, so I was a bit nervous when Janet said she was going to work for him.
See also: character, shady
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

shady character

 and a suspicious character
Fig. an untrustworthy person; a person who makes people suspicious. There is a suspicious character lurking about in the hallway. Please call the police.
See also: character, shady
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
See also:
  • suspicious
  • suspicious character
  • shady deal
  • shady past
  • sup with the devil
  • dine with the devil
  • bad to the bone
  • it's no crime to (do something)
  • back room
  • on the shady side of
References in classic literature
Then it struck me that Turnbull was a terror to certain shady characters in the past, and that he had come down to identify and denounce one of them.
The Man Who Knew Too Much
Sally's seaman friend Chief accepts a peculiar transport job from a shady character named Alphonse Morro.
The Murderer's Ape
But they must beware, because there's a shady character coming to Muckapoo farm.
Rooty Le' Boar
Port Talbot born and bred Francine Morgan (Stella, The Passion National Theatre Wales) will play Anna, while the shady character of Krogstad will be played by Robert Vernon from Pontypool.
'Shocking'masterpiece remastered
Abby Lester has been charged with the murder of Nate Bannister, an unlikeable, shady character. He was found shot to death in his downtown Sarasota condo and the evidence points to Abby as the killer.
Chasing Justice
shadY CharaCter: The pattern of the leaves of each plant is unique and a colony provides a rich tapestry of intricate detail in countless shades of green.
Brightening up the days; diary
When Tony points out that a load of gear she's bought to flog at her shop is actually stolen, she demands her money back from the shady character who sold it to her.
Tracy's in the red; We love SOAPS
Neal got abducted by an unknown, shady character. As previously reported, the upcoming new season is expected to return to Neal and Peter's core conflict.
'White Collar' Season 6 Update: Filming Begins in New York for the Last Adventure
OLDBOY (18) EXECUTIVE Joe Doucett (Josh Brolin) is abducted and held hostage for 20 years by a shady character called Chaney (Samuel L Jackson).
on dvd
OLDBOY (Cert 18) SELF-DESTRUCTIVE advertising executive Joe Doucett (Josh Brolin) vanishes without trace from outside a bar only to wake in a prison cell under the surveillance of a shady character called Chaney.
DVDs
He recalled that in the Colombian capital "there is a group of a very shady character, called Juan Jose Rendon, allied with Venezuelans who left the country after the defeat of the coup that they promoted," he said.
Maduro to Provide Colombia Evidence of Conspiracy against Venezuela
In case people find any unclaimed baggage, spot a shady character or activity, they must immediately inform police emergency and Rescue 15.
City Police high alert after Peshawar blast
Egyptian actress Najla Fathi has said that rumors of her intending to play the shady character of Egypt's former First Lady Suzanne Mubarak in a film are unfounded.
A thousand times nay: Najla Fathi is no Suzanne Mubarak
But his presumption that one human being can exist without others is steeped in hubris, and his solitude doesn't last long: A not-so-chance encounter with a shady character known as the Boss (Josh Lucas) and his curiously gentle henchman, Victor (Martin Donovan), draws William into a world of call girls, cocaine and the Boss' concubine, Ann (Julianne Nicholson), whose sexual favors are parceled out like Christmas bonuses.
William Vincent
Always a shady character, even in Holby City, Nick has dark secrets of his own, which are about to raise suspicions in the operating theatre.
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