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
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The Hate U Give
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Small as an Elephant
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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.
Starting in April, AI models from OpenAI and Anthropic that had been built to hack had left their corporate test-beds and broke into unsuspecting corporations in an unprecedented series of cyberattacks.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 1, 2026
The report documents instances that may constitute federal wire fraud, revealing that unsuspecting private donors who intended to support the congressionally chartered foundation were apparently surreptitiously handed Freedom 250’s bank account and routing numbers instead.
From Salon ● Jul. 4, 2026
Their history is littered with “can’t miss” prospects that they saw a cloudy future in and traded away to unsuspecting teams.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 27, 2026
"Avoid buying cover from unauthorised brokers or so-called 'ghost brokers', who leave thousands of unsuspecting motorists driving without valid insurance," he said.
From BBC ● May 14, 2026
Roots and holes and swampy earth snare unsuspecting feet.
From "Ruby Holler" by Sharon Creech
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.
