suspicious

[suh-spish-uhs]

adjective

1. tending to cause or excite suspicion; questionable.

   suspicious behavior.

   Synonyms: doubtful, dubious, suspect

2. inclined to suspect, especially inclined to suspect evil; distrustful.

   a suspicious tyrant.

   Synonyms: wary, mistrustful

3. full of or feeling suspicion.

4. expressing or indicating suspicion.

   a suspicious glance.

suspicious

/ səˈspɪʃəs /

adjective

1. exciting or liable to excite suspicion; questionable

2. disposed to suspect something wrong

3. indicative or expressive of suspicion

Other Word Forms

• suspiciousness noun
• suspiciously adverb
• hypersuspicious adjective
• hypersuspiciously adverb
• hypersuspiciousness noun
• oversuspicious adjective
• oversuspiciously adverb
• oversuspiciousness noun
• presuspicious adjective
• presuspiciously adverb
• presuspiciousness noun
• self-suspicious adjective
• supersuspicious adjective
• supersuspiciously adverb
• supersuspiciousness noun
• unsuspicious adjective
• unsuspiciously adverb
• unsuspiciousness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of suspicious¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, from Latin suspīciōsus, from suspīci(ō) “mistrust” ( suspicion ) + -ōsus -ous

Example Sentences

“Allegations of suspicious trading patterns highlight the risks of investing in instruments where there’s no intrinsic value and a lighter regulatory touch,” he added.

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He added that the cause of death was unknown but was not thought to be suspicious.

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The latest suspicious sign appeared on a bridge next to Chelmsford railway station after a bus got stuck under it in August.

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Greater Manchester Police said they were not treating the death of the 46-year-old as suspicious.

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Operation Identify Me was launched in 2023 to find the names of women who had been murdered or died in suspicious or unexplained circumstances in six European countries.

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Related Words

• apprehensive 
• careful 
• cautious 
• doubtful 
• incredulous 
• jealous 
• leery 
• mistrustful 
• skeptical 
• wary 
• watchful 

When To Use

What does suspicious mean?

To be suspicious is to have a suspicion about someone or something, especially to have a feeling of distrust about the person or thing. To be suspicious of someone most often involves suspecting that they are engaged in some wrongdoing, as in My parents became suspicious of me when I kept asking whether they’d be home tomorrow.The word is commonly used to describe a person who is suspicious of someone or something in a specific situation. Sometimes, though, it’s used to describe a person who’s suspicious in general—meaning that they’re generally skeptical or distrustful. It can also be used to describe something, such as an action, that indicates that a person is suspicious, as in She gave me a suspicious look that meant she knew I was up to something.Suspicious can also be used to describe someone or something that causes suspicion, as in The guards are trained to identify suspicious people, suspicious behavior, and suspicious packages.Being suspicious is usually based on something, such as a hunch or some kind of evidence, but the word is typically used in situations in which there is some doubt—when someone suspects something, but isn’t sure. The same thing is implied by the verb suspect and the noun suspicion.Suspicious is most commonly used in negative contexts, but this isn’t always the case. For example, you might be suspicious that someone is planning a surprise party for you.Example: Police are encouraging citizens to alert the authorities if they see any suspicious activity on the subway.