negócio obscuro

[nə-ˈɡó-sjʊ ɔbˈskú-rʊ]

noun phrasemasculinepl: negócios obscuros

shady deal / murky business / dark deal

1. A business transaction or arrangement that is dishonest, illegal, or morally questionable; dealings conducted in secrecy with suspicious intentions

He was involved in some shady deals that eventually landed him in prison.

Ele estava envolvido em alguns negócios obscuros que eventualmente o levaram à prisão.

2. Activities or transactions lacking transparency and raising doubts about their legality or ethics

The company's obscure business practices attracted government scrutiny.

As práticas de negócio obscuras da empresa atraíram a atenção do governo.

NYC Slang

sketchy deal / shady business / dirty deal

Synonyms

negócio ilícito negócio ilegal negócio duvidoso negócio suspeito transação obscura esquema duvidoso

Antonyms

negócio legítimo negócio legal negócio transparente transação honesta

Regional Variations

General Brazilian

negócio obscuro / negócio suspeito

Most common in business and informal contexts

Rio de Janeiro

negócio obscuro / jogo sujo

Often used colloquially in street language

São Paulo

negócio obscuro / negócio duvidoso

Preferred in formal and business discourse

Portugal

negócio obscuro / negócio duvidoso

Similar usage to Brazilian Portuguese with slight formal preference

Related Idioms & Phrases

envolver-se em negócios obscuros (to get involved in shady deals)

cheira a negócio obscuro (it smells like a shady deal)

negócio da china (something suspiciously good - ironic)

jogo sujo (dirty game/unfair dealing)

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