suspiciousness
Americannoun
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a quality that arouses suspicion or seems to suggest foul play.
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the state or character trait of being suspicious of others; a tendency to suspect foul play or conspiracy; suspicion.
Explanation
Suspiciousness is a quality of distrust or disbelief. Your suspiciousness about your upstair's neighbor's claim that he doesn't have a dog is completely justified if you wake every morning to the sound of barking overhead. If you're feeling doubtful about whether someone's telling you the truth, or have a hunch that they're up to no good, you're experiencing suspiciousness. Sometimes this quality of being suspicious makes sense (like your suspiciousness when your new classmate claims to be British royalty). Other times, it's okay to question your suspiciousness — that charismatic political candidate's promises may actually be sincere!
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.
"Honey pot" profiles contain enticing, but false, personal information to be used to actively engage with suspicious websites, forums or online communities.
From Salon • Oct. 13, 2024
Notices had started to pop up on TikTok, Facebook forums were advising people which beauty salons to attend, and suspicious websites were promising stock.
From Seattle Times • Mar. 15, 2024
Facebook and Twitter are also fertile ground for fake videos and links to suspicious websites, of course.
From Slate • Oct. 31, 2018
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.
