suspicious

American  

[suh-spish-uhs] / səˈspɪʃ əs /

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.

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suspicious British  

/ səˈspɪʃəs /

adjective

1. exciting or liable to excite suspicion; questionable

2. disposed to suspect something wrong

3. indicative or expressive of suspicion

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Usage

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.

Other Word Forms

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

Etymology

Origin of suspicious

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

Explanation

Suspicious behavior inspires distrust. Prancing around your backyard in a trench coat and fake mustache during daylight might elicit weird looks from your neighbors; do it at night, though, so that your silhouette glides past their windows, and what appeared innocent enough hours before will quickly transition to suspicious. Use this adjective to describe a behavior or event that arouses doubt or mistrust. How to avoid appearing suspicious? Well, for one, stop pausing mid-conversation to take covert notes in that little journal of yours. And two, don’t wear sunglasses indoors, and don’t try to walk without making a sound. That will make people cagey, which is a synonym for suspicious. Other synonyms include apprehensive, doubtful, wary, and watchful.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

suspicious

They grew suspicious about who was loyal to whom, even after Altman was reinstated as CEO.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026

No suspicious materials were attached to the kites and they did not pose a threat, the military said.

From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026

In 2019, a friend noticed a suspicious mole on Angela Evatt’s back that turned out to be melanoma, which had spread to her lymph nodes.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 20, 2026

Additionally, he had less than 45 minutes to build deep bonds between suspicious Annie and hopeful Xavier.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026

They asked a couple of teenage boys if they’d noticed anyone suspicious hanging around.

From "A Monster of a Mystery (The Hardy Boys: Secret Files, #5)" by Franklin W. Dixon

Related Words

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