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Hello!!
What does the expression 'dubious distinction' mean?
Thank you in advance.
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What exactly are you asking? "dubious distinction" doesn't have any special meaning. It's just an adjective modifying a noun. Look up "dubious" and then "distinction" in a dictionary.
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"Dubious" means doubtful and "distinction" means finding differences. What's the context?
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Actually, I disagree with the previous two posters. It does have something of a specialized meaning. It sarcastically refers to the "honour" of doing something very badly, eg. "The Miami Dolphins had the dubious distinction of being the worst team in the NFL last year".
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A distinction is also something bestowed as a special honor or favor, so with that meaning, and in the context of the Miami Dolphins example, a dubious distinction is an honor that's doubtful - such as being the worst team in the NFL.
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<<A distinction is also something bestowed as a special honor or favor, so with that meaning, and in the context of the Miami Dolphins example, a dubious distinction is an honor that's doubtful - such as being the worst team in the NFL.>>
But it's more than just doubtful, it's definitely bad. A dubious statement is just one the truth of which isn't certain, but a dubious distinction isn't just questionable, it's just plain bad.
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No offense, Josh, but I wouldn't refer to the Dolphins' distinction in that case as being dubious... lol
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Well thank you all.
Let me write the sentence in which I found the term 'dubious distinction'.
Delhi has the dubious distinction of being the 4th polluted country in the world.
What does it mean in this context?
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Having the dubious distinction of....whatever.... It usually means being renowned for something which is less than desirable for whatever reason.
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<<Delhi has the dubious distinction of being the 4th polluted country in the world.
What does it mean in this context?>>
Being the 4th most polluted city in the world is a "distinction" that most of us would rather avoid.
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