# suspicious

/səˈspɪʃəs/ (US) · /səspˈɪʃəs/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/suspicious
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. feeling distrust

adjective · CEFR B1

feeling that someone or something is dishonest or cannot be trusted.

For teachers: 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.

### 2. appearing dishonest

adjective · CEFR B1

making you feel that something is wrong, illegal, or dishonest.

For teachers: 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.

### 3. showing doubt

adjective · CEFR B2

showing through your expression or voice that you do not trust someone.

For teachers: 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.

## Examples

- The police are looking for a suspicious man in the area.
- She became suspicious when the stranger asked for her bank details over the phone.
- The sudden disappearance of the documents under such suspicious circumstances prompted an immediate internal investigation by the board of directors.

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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.