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.
Amie Donaghey is one of "thousands of unsuspecting motorists" across the UK who City of London police said had fallen victim to the scam, which targets young motorists.
From BBC • May 14, 2026
With every highly publicized IPO, there will be scams aimed at getting unsuspecting outsiders “in” on the IPO before its first day of trading.
From MarketWatch • May 12, 2026
Inadequate Home Office checks are allowing them to do so on the basis of little evidence, while their unsuspecting British partners have had their lives turned upside down by the false accusations, lawyers said.
From BBC • Apr. 16, 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
“How dare you fiends inflict a rabid bird upon your unsuspecting customers? You may expect to be sued in the morning.”
From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole
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.
