suspicious
Americanadjective
-
tending to cause or excite suspicion; questionable.
suspicious behavior.
-
inclined to suspect, especially inclined to suspect evil; distrustful.
a suspicious tyrant.
- Synonyms:
- wary, mistrustful
-
full of or feeling suspicion.
-
expressing or indicating suspicion.
a suspicious glance.
adjective
-
exciting or liable to excite suspicion; questionable
-
disposed to suspect something wrong
-
indicative or expressive of suspicion
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
- 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
- suspiciously adverb
- suspiciousness noun
- unsuspicious adjective
- unsuspiciously adverb
- unsuspiciousness noun
Etymology
Origin of suspicious
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, from Latin suspīciōsus, from suspīci(ō) “mistrust” ( suspicion ) + -ōsus -ous
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 watchdog said two patrol cars had started following a van in Kingstanding, Birmingham, after receiving reports of suspicious activity.
From BBC
Police Scotland said the death was being treated as "unexplained but not suspicious" and the family was being supported by officers.
From BBC
First, there were the ugly, unintended consequences of social media that left many suspicious of tech’s power.
A state audit in 2021 found that at least $10 billion had been paid out on suspicious unemployment claims — never mind small business loans or other types of aid.
From Los Angeles Times
Insider trading is illegal in the stock market, and regulators routinely monitor suspicious trades ahead of big corporate news so they can prosecute insiders who attempt to enrich themselves using nonpublic information.
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.
