unsuspecting
Britishadjective
Other Word Forms
- unsuspectingly adverb
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.
About three decades ago, an accountant profited from dubious deductions he put on the tax returns of an unsuspecting client.
From MarketWatch • Feb. 27, 2026
You get the best look at his charisma when Elvis targets his energy at an unsuspecting back-up singer in the middle of “Suspicious Minds.”
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 19, 2026
It came when two brothers dropped their gloves within the first three seconds of a game and started throwing ferocious haymakers at a couple of unsuspecting Canadians.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 14, 2026
We formally set out our findings to Brother Chun and AKA that they were profiting from exploiting unsuspecting hotel guests.
From BBC • Feb. 5, 2026
The two women were so startled that the delivery boy sneaked up on the unsuspecting for the rest of the week, shouting "Boom!"
From "The Westing Game" by Ellen Raskin
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.
