# Sus

/ˈsəs/ (US)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/sus
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. suspicious or untrustworthy

adjective · CEFR B2 · Slang · Informal

used to describe someone or something that seems dishonest or strange.

For teachers: denoting a person or situation that evokes suspicion or appears untrustworthy. Often used predicatively in informal contexts.

- I don't trust that website; the low prices look a bit sus to me.
- The community was quick to label the sudden policy change as sus, given the lack of transparency from the administration.

### 3. to figure out

verb · CEFR B2 · British English · Informal

to realize or discover the truth about someone or something.

For teachers: to realize, discover, or identify the true nature of a situation or person. Usually appears in the phrasal form 'sus out'.

- It didn't take long for the teacher to sus out who had broken the window.
- After a few minutes of conversation, she managed to sus out his real motives for attending the gala.

### 4. suspicion or police law

noun · CEFR C2 · British English · Informal

a law that allows police to stop and search someone if they look suspicious.

For teachers: a shortened form of 'suspicion', specifically referring to historical UK legislation allowing police to stop and search individuals based on perceived intent.

- The old sus laws were very controversial and caused many protests.
- Legal historians often cite the repeal of the sus law as a pivotal moment in the reform of stop-and-search powers.

## Examples

- That email looks a bit sus to me.
- The group started to think he was sus when he couldn't explain where he had been all afternoon.
- While the deal seemed lucrative on the surface, the lack of a physical office and the insistence on cryptocurrency payments made the whole operation feel incredibly sus.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.