suspect
Americanverb (used with object)
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to believe to be guilty, false, counterfeit, undesirable, defective, bad, etc., with little or no proof.
to suspect a person of murder.
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to doubt or mistrust.
I suspect his motives.
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to believe to be the case or to be likely or probable; surmise.
I suspect his knowledge did not amount to much.
- Synonyms:
- suppose, conjecture, guess
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to have some hint or foreknowledge of.
I think she suspected the surprise.
verb (used without object)
noun
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a person who is suspected, especially one suspected of a crime, offense, or the like.
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an animal or thing that is suspected to be the cause of something bad: The cause of the disease was not confirmed, but the suspect was an insect.
Investigators focused on faulty wiring as a suspect in the house fire.
The cause of the disease was not confirmed, but the suspect was an insect.
adjective
idioms
verb
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(tr) to believe guilty of a specified offence without proof
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(tr) to think false, questionable, etc
she suspected his sincerity
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(tr; may take a clause as object) to surmise to be the case; think probable
to suspect fraud
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(intr) to have suspicion
noun
adjective
Usage
What does sus mean? Sus is a shortening of suspicious or suspect. In slang, it has the sense of "questionable" or "shady."
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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nonsuspectnoun
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suspecternoun
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presuspectverb (used with object)
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suspectibleadjective
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suspectlessadjective
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unsuspectingadjective
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unsuspectinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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suspectsimple
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suspectssimple
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have suspectedperfect
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has suspectedperfect
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am suspectingprogressive
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are suspectingprogressive
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is suspectingprogressive
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have been suspectingperfect progressive
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has been suspectingperfect progressive
Past
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suspectedsimple
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had suspectedperfect
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was suspectingprogressive
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were suspectingprogressive
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had been suspectingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of suspect
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English (adjective) from Latin suspectus, past participle of suspicere “to look up, look and see, regard with mistrust,” equivalent to su- “under, below, beneath” + -spicere, combining form of specere “to see, observe, keep an eye on, take into consideration”; (verb) partly from the adjective, partly from Middle French suspecter “to hold suspect,” or directly from Latin suspectāre, frequentative of suspicere; see su-
Explanation
A suspect is a person who is believed to be guilty of a crime. If you leave the scene of a murder with blood on your hands and a weapon in your pocket, you’re likely to become a prime suspect. If others believe you have committed a crime, you are a suspect. The word can also be used as a verb and an adjective. To suspect someone of something is to believe that they probably did it. Do you ever suspect your parents of taking some of your Halloween candy? If something such as someone's excuse or motive is suspect, it seems a bit off. That bad-smelling piece of fish is suspect — you'd better not eat it.
Vocabulary lists containing suspect
Unit 3: Compelling Evidence
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Common Senses: Spec, Spect, Spic ("Look")
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Bridge to Terabithia
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Still, it wouldn't be the first time a suspect has been caught based on their writing.
From BBC ● Aug. 2, 2026
The department made the announcement on Instagram with a photo of the suspect in handcuffs with two officers standing nearby.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 30, 2026
So do dads carrying old-school Igloo coolers, each of whom, I suspect, has strongly held beliefs about bread density, condiment placement and whether tomatoes are worth the risk.
From Salon ● Jul. 30, 2026
“Once plain water became suspect, it became a category you could charge a premium to solve,” said Jenna Movsowitz, co-founder of Express Checkout, a Substack newsletter about trends in consumer packaged goods.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
George cheered after looking at the one clue and one suspect on Nancy's list.
From "Pony Problems: Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew, #3" by Carolyn Keene
Lamming suspects that regular physical activity may offer protection by directing protein toward the development and maintenance of strong, healthy muscle.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 2, 2026
Investigators fanned out to local Walmart stores, scouring surveillance video and receipts but found no suspects.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026
Her remains have not been recovered and there are currently no known suspects.
From Barron's ● Aug. 1, 2026
The sheriff’s department said the suspects, who were not related but knew each other, shared a home in Irvine, where investigators executed a search warrant.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026
Mr. van Hoeven obviously suspects we’re here, because he always delivers the potatoes at lunchtime.
From "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank
They suspected the blood might have come from some unrelated head bump, nosebleed or other incidental injury, the people said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026
Jones was in hospital for 10 days, and says the doctors there suspected he had hydatid cysts immediately.
From BBC ● Aug. 2, 2026
Prof Maggs suspected it was a new species to science.
From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026
The explosion, suspected to be caused by methane gas, tore through the mine near the capital of the resource-rich province of Balochistan on Thursday, sparking a rescue operation that ran through the night.
From Barron's ● Jul. 31, 2026
Swanburne alone was full of them, and that, they suspected, was only the tip of the iceberg.
From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood
Still, it’s worth noting that Sink’s role has been the subject of much speculation, with fans suspecting she would play Marvel-verse X-Men telekinetic and telepath Jean Grey.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
Movies rarely venture so far into the hearts of ordinary people trying to do their best but suspecting they have made a great many irreparable mistakes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026
When you start suspecting that your position might be terminated, it’s easy to mentally check out.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 12, 2026
It is a notifiable disease so anyone suspecting their animals may have it must report it to a vet, local divisional veterinary office or to Daera directly.
From BBC ● Dec. 1, 2025
Bran only had to smile, do as he was told, and mutter “Hodor” from time to time, and he could follow Meera and Jojen, grinning happily, without anyone suspecting it was really him.
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
