unsuspecting
Britishadjective
Other Word Forms
Explanation
If you're unsuspecting, you are innocent and trusting. An unsuspecting tourist will be blissfully unaware that the smiling old lady on the subway has stolen his wallet. If you lack a sense of suspicion or distrust, especially in the face of some kind of danger, you're unsuspecting. A criminal's unsuspecting victims find themselves utterly surprised that they've been robbed, and an unsuspecting hiker wanders right into a bear's den. In both cases, a little bit of suspicion would have served them well.
Vocabulary lists containing unsuspecting
Wonder
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The Hate U Give
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Small as an Elephant
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
It is a frenzied, organized dance with missed steps and dropped plates and canned tuna and mayonnaise gussied up into a fancy tonnato sauce that tastes upscale and flawless to the unsuspecting.
From Salon • Jun. 28, 2026
When Bean finally told his family he was gay, in 1996 — three years before clueing in an unsuspecting public via a Miami Herald article — none of his loved ones blinked.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 7, 2026
With every highly publicized IPO, there will be scams aimed at getting unsuspecting outsiders “in” on the IPO before its first day of trading.
From MarketWatch • May 12, 2026
It’s no wonder the new season of “Jury Duty,” a comedy series that tricks an unsuspecting non-actor into believing his off-the-wall fictional circumstances are actually happening, is set at a corporate off-site.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026
He turned his attention to the fog out the window and aimed a spit attack at an unsuspecting pigeon passing by the fire escape.
From "A Tangle of Knots" by Lisa Graff
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.
