suspicious
- 01 B1 Intermediate
feeling that someone or something is dishonest or cannot be trusted.
inclined to suspect evil or lack of trust; having or showing a cautious distrust of someone or something.
Simple“The bank became suspicious of the man when he tried to use a fake ID.”
In context“The investigators remained suspicious of the witness's testimony, noting several inconsistencies between her current statement and her initial report.”
PitfallI 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.
- 02 B1 Intermediate
making you feel that something is wrong, illegal, or dishonest.
arousing or tending to arouse suspicion; appearing questionable or likely to be illegal.
Simple“There was a suspicious package left alone on the train platform.”
In context“The security team flagged the suspicious activity on the server after noticing multiple login attempts from an unrecognised IP address.”
SynonymsAntonyms - 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
showing through your expression or voice that you do not trust someone.
expressing or indicative of suspicion in manner, look, or tone.
Simple“She gave him a suspicious look when he said he was working late.”
In context“He cast a suspicious glance toward the stranger who had been following him through the crowded market for the last ten minutes.”
Synonymsdoubtingdisbelieving
Usage suspicious activity · suspicious circumstances
“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".”
From Old French sospecious, from Latin suspiciosus, suspitiosus.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.