suspicious

[suh-spish-uhs]

See more synonyms for suspicious on Thesaurus.com

adjective

tending to cause or excite suspicion; questionable: suspicious behavior.
inclined to suspect, especially inclined to suspect evil; distrustful: a suspicious tyrant.
full of or feeling suspicion.

expressing or indicating suspicion: a suspicious glance.

Origin of suspicious

1300–50; Middle English < Latin suspīciōsus, equivalent to suspīci- (see suspicion) + -ōsus -ous

Related formssus·pi·cious·ly, adverbsus·pi·cious·ness, nounhy·per·sus·pi·cious, adjectivehy·per·sus·pi·cious·ly, adverbhy·per·sus·pi·cious·ness, nouno·ver·sus·pi·cious, adjectiveo·ver·sus·pi·cious·ly, adverbo·ver·sus·pi·cious·ness, nounpre·sus·pi·cious, adjectivepre·sus·pi·cious·ly, adverbpre·sus·pi·cious·ness, nounself-sus·pi·cious, adjectivesu·per·sus·pi·cious, adjectivesu·per·sus·pi·cious·ly, adverbsu·per·sus·pi·cious·ness, nounun·sus·pi·cious, adjectiveun·sus·pi·cious·ly, adverbun·sus·pi·cious·ness, noun

Synonyms

See more synonyms for on Thesaurus.com

1. suspect, dubious, doubtful. 2. mistrustful, wary, disbelieving.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for suspicious

Contemporary Examples

They apparently took that as a sign of suspicious activity, even though that can be a hallmark of people on the autism spectrum.
Worse Than Eric Garner: Cops Who Got Away With Killing Autistic Men and Little Girls
Emily Shire
December 4, 2014
Black people, especially young black men, are regarded as suspicious, threatening and potentially dangerous.
When Police Violence Gets Personal
Gene Robinson
October 5, 2014
With this track record, how could the American people be anything other than suspicious of war?
Can America Still Win Wars?
Michael Tomasky
October 4, 2014
Over dinner, an elderly waitress at a nearby restaurant thought the timing of the attack was suspicious.
Hong Kong’s Triads Attack Protestors
Ben Leung
October 4, 2014
“He was suspicious because it was abandoned with its windows opened,” the complaint says.
Manhunt for a Cop-Hating Pennsylvania ‘Survivalist’
Michael Daly
September 17, 2014

Historical Examples

Now don't get suspicious, and tell me to mind my own business when I ask you questions.
The Spenders
Harry Leon Wilson
When this was swept away the floor presented no suspicious traces.
Way of the Lawless
Max Brand
Despite the laughter there was a suspicious mist in Mr. Ried's eyes.
Ester Ried Yet Speaking
Isabella Alden
Faust went away more than ever suspicious of Crane and Diablo.
Thoroughbreds
W. A. Fraser
He told me that a suspicious character had been hanging about the hall, enquiring for me.
The Foolish Lovers
St. John G. Ervine

British Dictionary definitions for suspicious

suspicious

adjective

exciting or liable to excite suspicion; questionable
disposed to suspect something wrong
indicative or expressive of suspicion

Derived Formssuspiciously, adverbsuspiciousness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for suspicious

adj.

"deserving of or exciting suspicion," mid-14c., from Old French suspecious, from Latin suspiciosus "exciting suspicion" (see suspicion). Meaning "full of or inclined to feel suspicion" is attested from c.1400. Edgar Allan Poe (c.1845) proposed suspectful to take one of the two conflicting senses. Related: suspiciously; suspiciousness.

suspicious

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Synonyms

Related Words

Examples from the Web for suspicious

Contemporary Examples

They apparently took that as a sign of suspicious activity, even though that can be a hallmark of people on the autism spectrum.

Black people, especially young black men, are regarded as suspicious, threatening and potentially dangerous.

With this track record, how could the American people be anything other than suspicious of war?

Over dinner, an elderly waitress at a nearby restaurant thought the timing of the attack was suspicious.

“He was suspicious because it was abandoned with its windows opened,” the complaint says.

Historical Examples

Now don't get suspicious, and tell me to mind my own business when I ask you questions.

When this was swept away the floor presented no suspicious traces.

Despite the laughter there was a suspicious mist in Mr. Ried's eyes.

Faust went away more than ever suspicious of Crane and Diablo.

He told me that a suspicious character had been hanging about the hall, enquiring for me.

suspicious

Word Origin and History for suspicious

adj.

Origin of suspicious