If you are suspiciousof someone or something, you do not trust them, and are careful when dealing with them.
He was rightly suspicious of meeting me until I reassured him I was not writing abouthim. [+ of]
He has his father's suspicious nature.
Synonyms: distrustful, suspecting, sceptical, doubtful More Synonyms of suspicious
suspiciouslyadjective [ADVERB after verb]
'What is it you want me to do?' Adams asked suspiciously.
2. adjective
If you are suspiciousof someone or something, you believe that they are probably involved in a crime or some dishonest activity.
Two officers on patrol became suspicious of two men in a car. [+ of]
A woman kept prisoner in a basement was rescued after suspicious neighbours tippedoff police.
3. adjective
If you describe someone or something as suspicious, you mean that there is some aspect of them which makes you think that they are involved in a crime or a dishonest activity.
He reported that two suspicious-looking characters had approached Callendar.
Nottingham police last night found what they described as a suspicious package.
suspiciouslyadverb [ADVERB with verb, ADVERB adjective/adverb]
They'll ask whether anyone was seen acting suspiciously in the area.
Police were told to arrest voters found with suspiciously large sums of money intheir pockets.
4. See also suspiciously
More Synonyms of suspicious
suspicious in British English
(səˈspɪʃəs)
adjective
1.
exciting or liable to excite suspicion; questionable
2.
disposed to suspect something wrong
3.
indicative or expressive of suspicion
Derived forms
suspiciously (susˈpiciously)
adverb
suspiciousness (susˈpiciousness)
noun
suspicious in American English
(səˈspɪʃəs)
adjective
1.
arousing or likely to arouse suspicion in others
2.
showing or expressing suspicion
3.
a.
feeling suspicion
b.
tending habitually to suspect, esp. to suspect evil
Derived forms
suspiciously (susˈpiciously)
adverb
suspiciousness (susˈpiciousness)
noun
Word origin
ME suspecious < OFr < L suspiciosus
Examples of 'suspicious' in a sentence
suspicious
The police got really suspicious when the second one died.
The Sun (2011)
You consult your umpiring partner and he agrees that it looks suspicious.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
Locals raised the alarm after noticing a foul smell coming from the suspicious package.
The Sun (2014)
Police were suspicious but found no evidence to suggest that she had prior knowledge of the attacks.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Versailles troops shot anyone suspicious on sight.
Higonnet, Anne Berthe Morisot (1990)
Partly there is something suspicious about people writing books about how happy they are.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
He urged the public to help fight terror by reporting suspicious activity.
The Sun (2016)
The colloquial writing on the postcard made police suspicious.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
Robot programmes have the ability to roam though masses of this data looking for suspicious activity.
The Times Literary Supplement (2010)
Her house was fitted with a device to detect suspicious packages and a button to alert police.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Police grew suspicious and he was arrested.
The Sun (2010)
He has become suspicious of anyone trying to strike up a conversation.
The Sun (2010)
It can use that information to decide whether to raise an alarm if it encounters something suspicious.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
An alert can be an indicator of suspicious activity.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The boss was suspicious and told police.
The Sun (2008)
Police are suspicious and request an autopsy.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Others of a less suspicious nature will wonder whether the cash is having to be raised because of the demerger.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
She shot me a suspicious look.
Christianity Today (2000)
Lawyers questioned whether the investigation was necessary, given that other agencies had already scrutinised the suspicious payments.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
They tend to have no permanent relationships and to invent entire life stories for themselves which staff only become suspicious about after a while.
Knowles, Jane Know Your Own Mind (1991)
Unless I were already suspicious of the person.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
In other languages
suspicious
British English: suspicious /səˈspɪʃəs/ ADJECTIVE
If you are suspicious of someone or something, you do not trust them.
He was suspicious of all journalists.
American English: suspicious
Arabic: مَشْبُوه
Brazilian Portuguese: suspeitoso
Chinese: 令人怀疑的
Croatian: sumnjičav
Czech: podezřívavý
Danish: mistænksom
Dutch: wantrouwend
European Spanish: suspicaz
Finnish: epäilyttävä
French: suspicieux
German: verdächtig
Greek: καχύποπτος
Italian: sospetto
Japanese: 疑わしい
Korean: 수상한 의심스러운
Norwegian: mistenksom
Polish: podejrzany
European Portuguese: suspeita
Romanian: suspicios
Russian: подозрительный
Latin American Spanish: suspicaz
Swedish: misstänkt
Thai: สงสัย
Turkish: kuşkulu
Ukrainian: підозрілий
Vietnamese: khả nghi
Chinese translation of 'suspicious'
suspicious
(səsˈpɪʃəs)
adj
[look]表示怀(懷)疑的 (biǎoshì huáiyí de)
[nature]多疑的 (duōyí de)
[circumstances, death, package]可疑的 (kěyí de)
to be suspicious of or about sb/sth对(對)某人/某事起疑心 (duì mǒurén/mǒushì qǐ yíxīn)
1 (adjective)
Definition
unwilling to trust
He has his father's suspicious nature.
Synonyms
distrustful
Voters are distrustful of all politicians.
suspecting
sceptical
scientists who are sceptical about global warming
doubtful
Why did he sound so doubtful?
apprehensive
People are still terribly apprehensive about the future.
leery (slang)
They are leery of the proposed system.
mistrustful
Fletcher had become taciturn and mistrustful of the media.
unbelieving
He looked at me with unbelieving eyes.
wary
My mother always told me to be wary of strangers.
Opposites
trusting
,
gullible
,
credulous
,
believing
,
unsuspecting
,
trustful
,
unsuspicious
2 (adjective)
Definition
causing one to suspect something is wrong
two suspicious-looking characters
Synonyms
suspect
Delegates evacuated the building when a suspect package was found.
dubious
questionable
The film is a comedy in highly questionable taste.
funny
There's something funny about that pair.
doubtful
They all seemed of very doubtful character.
dodgy (British, Australian, New Zealand, informal)
queer (archaic)
irregular
shady (informal)
fishy (informal)
of doubtful honesty
open to doubt or misconstruction
shonky (Australian, New Zealand, informal)
Opposites
straight
, above board,
beyond suspicion
,
open
,
straightforward
,
upright
,
unquestionable
,
not open to question
3 (adjective)
Four people have died in suspicious circumstances.
Synonyms
odd
Something odd began to happen.
strange
There was something strange about the flickering blue light.
mysterious
dark
It was a dark and stormy night.
dubious
dubious business dealings
irregular
The minister was accused of irregular business practices.
questionable
murky (informal)
There has been a murky conspiracy to keep them out of power.
shady (informal)
Be wary of people who try to talk you into shady deals.
fishy
There seems to be something fishy going on.
Additional synonyms
in the sense of apprehensive
Definition
fearful or anxious about the future
People are still terribly apprehensive about the future.
Synonyms
anxious,
concerned,
worried,
afraid,
alarmed,
nervous,
suspicious,
doubtful,
uneasy,
fearful,
disquieted,
foreboding,
twitchy (informal),
mistrustful,
antsy (informal)
in the sense of dark
Definition
having little or no light
It was a dark and stormy night.
Synonyms
dim,
murky,
shady,
shadowy,
grey,
cloudy,
dingy,
overcast,
dusky,
unlit,
pitch-black,
indistinct,
poorly lit,
sunless,
tenebrous,
darksome (literary),
pitchy,
unilluminated
in the sense of doubtful
Definition
unsure or uncertain
Why did he sound so doubtful?
Synonyms
unsure,
uncertain,
hesitant,
suspicious,
hesitating,
sceptical,
unsettled,
tentative,
wavering,
unresolved,
perplexed,
undecided,
unconvinced,
vacillating,
leery (slang),
distrustful,
in two minds (informal),
irresolute
Synonyms of 'suspicious'
suspicious
Explore 'suspicious' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of doubtful
They all seemed of very doubtful character.
Synonyms
questionable,
suspect,
suspicious,
crooked (informal),
dubious,
dodgy (British, Australian, New Zealand, informal),
slippery,
shady (informal),
unscrupulous,
fishy (informal),
shifty,
disreputable,
untrustworthy,
shonky (Australian, New Zealand, informal)
in the sense of dubious
Definition
of doubtful quality or worth
dubious business dealings
Synonyms
suspect,
suspicious,
crooked (informal),
dodgy (British, Australian, New Zealand, informal),
questionable,
unreliable,
shady (informal),
unscrupulous,
fishy (informal),
disreputable,
untrustworthy,
undependable
in the sense of fishy
Definition
suspicious or questionable
There seems to be something fishy going on.
Synonyms
suspicious,
odd,
suspect,
unlikely,
funny (informal),
doubtful,
dubious,
dodgy (British, Australian, New Zealand, informal),
queer,
rum (British, slang),
questionable,
improbable,
implausible,
cock-and-bull (informal),
shonky (Australian, New Zealand, informal)
in the sense of funny
Definition
peculiar or odd
There's something funny about that pair.
Synonyms
peculiar,
odd,
strange,
unusual,
remarkable,
bizarre,
puzzling,
curious,
weird,
mysterious,
suspicious,
dubious,
queer,
rum (British, slang),
quirky,
perplexing
in the sense of irregular
Definition
not conforming to accepted practice or routine
The minister was accused of irregular business practices.
Synonyms
inappropriate,
unconventional,
improper,
unethical,
odd,
unusual,
extraordinary,
disorderly,
exceptional,
peculiar,
unofficial,
abnormal,
queer,
rum (British, slang),
back-door,
unsuitable,
unorthodox,
out-of-order,
unprofessional,
anomalous
in the sense of leery
Definition
suspicious or wary
They are leery of the proposed system.
Synonyms
wary,
cautious,
uncertain,
suspicious,
doubting,
careful,
shy,
sceptical,
dubious,
unsure,
distrustful,
on your guard,
chary
in the sense of mistrustful
Fletcher had become taciturn and mistrustful of the media.
Synonyms
suspicious,
nervous,
cautious,
uncertain,
wary,
cynical,
doubtful,
sceptical,
dubious,
fearful,
hesitant,
apprehensive,
leery (slang),
distrustful,
chary
in the sense of murky
Definition
obscure and suspicious
There has been a murky conspiracy to keep them out of power.
Synonyms
questionable,
dark,
secret,
suspect,
mysterious,
suspicious,
dubious,
shady (informal)
in the sense of queer
Definition
dubious
Synonyms
dubious,
puzzling,
mysterious,
suspicious,
doubtful,
irregular,
questionable,
shady (informal),
fishy (informal)
in the sense of questionable
Definition
of disputable value or authority
The film is a comedy in highly questionable taste.
Synonyms
dubious,
suspect,
doubtful,
controversial,
uncertain,
suspicious,
dodgy (British, Australian, New Zealand, informal),
unreliable,
shady (informal),
debatable,
unproven,
fishy (informal),
moot,
arguable,
iffy (informal),
equivocal,
problematical,
disputable,
controvertible,
dubitable,
shonky (Australian, New Zealand, informal)
Additional synonyms
in the sense of sceptical
scientists who are sceptical about global warming
Synonyms
doubtful,
cynical,
dubious,
questioning,
doubting,
hesitating,
scoffing,
hesitant,
unconvinced,
disbelieving,
incredulous,
quizzical,
mistrustful,
unbelieving
in the sense of shady
Definition
of doubtful honesty or legality
Be wary of people who try to talk you into shady deals.
Synonyms
crooked (informal),
dodgy (British, Australian, New Zealand, informal),
unethical,
suspect,
suspicious,
dubious,
slippery,
questionable,
unscrupulous,
fishy (informal),
shifty,
disreputable,
untrustworthy,
shonky (Australian, New Zealand, informal)
in the sense of strange
Definition
odd or unexpected
There was something strange about the flickering blue light.