unsuspecting
Britishadjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Explanation
If you're unsuspecting, you are innocent and trusting. An unsuspecting tourist will be blissfully unaware that the smiling old lady on the subway has stolen his wallet. If you lack a sense of suspicion or distrust, especially in the face of some kind of danger, you're unsuspecting. A criminal's unsuspecting victims find themselves utterly surprised that they've been robbed, and an unsuspecting hiker wanders right into a bear's den. In both cases, a little bit of suspicion would have served them well.
Vocabulary lists containing unsuspecting
Wonder
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The Hate U Give
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Small as an Elephant
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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.
The unsuspecting motorists are given the option of taking penalty points or attending Kids Court.
From BBC • Mar. 30, 2026
And unlike some some prank shows, its intentions are good, its attitude humane — the entire purpose of the show is to bring out the best in its unsuspecting star, not to humiliate him.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 19, 2026
About three decades ago, an accountant profited from dubious deductions he put on the tax returns of an unsuspecting client.
From MarketWatch • Feb. 27, 2026
You get the best look at his charisma when Elvis targets his energy at an unsuspecting back-up singer in the middle of “Suspicious Minds.”
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 19, 2026
The sky was orange, and the coconut trees were sea anemones waving their tentacles, hoping to trap and eat an unsuspecting cloud.
From "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy
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.
