Word
suspicious
Phoneticssus·pi·cious, stress on the second syllable
US/səˈspɪʃəs/
UK/səspˈɪʃəs/
Definitions
01feeling distrust
B1 · Intermediate
adj. feeling that someone or something is dishonest or cannot be trusted.
adj. inclined to suspect evil or lack of trust; having or showing a cautious distrust of someone or something.
“The bank became suspicious of the man when he tried to use a fake ID.”
“The investigators remained suspicious of the witness's testimony, noting several inconsistencies between her current statement and her initial report.”
Pitfall
I am suspicious about his motives.
I am suspicious of his motives.
While 'about' is sometimes used, 'suspicious of' is the standard prepositional pairing for this adjective.
Synonyms
02appearing dishonest
B1 · Intermediate
adj. making you feel that something is wrong, illegal, or dishonest.
adj. arousing or tending to arouse suspicion; appearing questionable or likely to be illegal.
“There was a suspicious package left alone on the train platform.”
“The security team flagged the suspicious activity on the server after noticing multiple login attempts from an unrecognised IP address.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
03showing doubt
B2 · Upper Intermediate
adj. showing through your expression or voice that you do not trust someone.
adj. expressing or indicative of suspicion in manner, look, or tone.
“She gave him a suspicious look when he said he was working late.”
“He cast a suspicious glance toward the stranger who had been following him through the crowded market for the last ten minutes.”
Synonyms
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “suspicious” in context.
Verb
01. arouse suspicious feelings
“His constant evasiveness began to arouse suspicious feelings among his colleagues.”
verb + adj + noun
02. become suspicious of the motives
“Investors began to become suspicious of the motives behind the sudden management shake-up.”
verb + adj + prep + noun
03. report suspicious activity
“Local residents were encouraged to report suspicious activity to the police immediately.”
verb + adj + noun
Adjective
04. deeply suspicious
“The public remains deeply suspicious of the government's new economic proposals.”
adv + adj
05. suspicious of the circumstances
“The detective was suspicious of the circumstances surrounding the heir's disappearance.”
adj + prep + noun
Noun
06. suspicious mind
“A suspicious mind is often a requirement for a successful investigative journalist.”
adj + noun
07. suspicious package
“The station was evacuated after a suspicious package was found near the platform.”
adj + noun
Preposition
08. under suspicious circumstances
“The fire started under suspicious circumstances just days after the insurance policy was renewed.”
prep + adj + noun
09. suspicious activity
10. suspicious circumstances
Real-World Examples
“The Metropolitan Police said his death is being treated as unexpected, but is not believed to be suspicious.” “The police have said his death is being treated as "unexpected, but is not believed to be suspicious".” “Police are treating sociology professor Jason Arday's death as unexpected but not suspicious.” Etymology
From Old French sospecious, from Latin suspiciosus, suspitiosus.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
ADVERB
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- C1 · AdvancedOxford
- Updated
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