Suspect — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective noun verb /ˈsə-ˌspekt/ (adjective) /sə-ˈspekt/ (verb) sus·pect

Meaning & Definition of Suspect

Suspect (adjective)

  1. regarded or deserving to be regarded with suspicion, suspected
  2. doubtful, questionable

Suspect (noun)

  1. one that is suspected; especially, a person suspected of a crime

Suspect (verb)

  1. to imagine (one) to be guilty or culpable on slight evidence or without proof
  2. to have doubts of, distrust
  3. to imagine to exist or be true, likely, or probable

Suspect (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. as in defendant, accused

    similar: accused, arrestee, defendant, detainee, fish, criminal, crook, culprit, lawbreaker, malefactor, miscreant, offender, misdemeanant, accomplice, principal, desperado, outlaw, convict, jailbird, perp, perpetrator, evildoer, gallows bird, misdoer, misfeasor, sinner, transgressor, trespasser, villain, wrongdoer, blackhander, button man, gangster, hoodlum, hooligan, mobster, racketeer, thug
    opposite: gangbuster, lawman

Suspect (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to form an opinion from little or no evidence

    "we suspected that the runaway was a little younger than the 16 she claimed to be—more like 13"

    similar: assume, conjecture, daresay, guess, imagine, presume, speculate, suppose, surmise, suspicion (chiefly dialect)
    related: conclude, deduce, gather, infer, hypothecate, hypothesize, theorize, believe, conceive, expect, judge, reckon (chiefly dialect), take, think
    near: demonstrate, document, establish, prove, substantiate, validate, ascertain, determine, find out, learn

  2. to have no trust or confidence in

    "I suspected him from the moment he said he was an old friend of my sister's, since I probably would have heard about him"

    similar: distrust, doubt, misdoubt, mistrust, question
    related: disbelieve, discount, discredit, negate
    opposite: trust
    near: bank (on or upon), count (on or upon), depend (on or upon), rely (on or upon)

Suspect (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. giving good reason for being doubted, questioned, or challenged

    "since she was carrying no cash or credit cards, her claim to the store's detectives that she had intended to pay for the items was suspect"

    similar: debatable, disputable, dodgy (chiefly British), doubtable, doubtful, dubious, dubitable, equivocal, fishy, problematic, queer, questionable, shady, shaky, suspicious
    related: alleged, so-called, supposed, moot, ambiguous, open, unclear, uncertain, undecided, undetermined, far-fetched, flimsy, improbable, unlikely, weak
    opposite: certain, hands-down, incontestable, indisputable, indubitable, questionless, sure, undeniable, undoubted, unproblematic, unquestionable
    near: decisive, definitive, clear, obvious, open-and-shut, positive

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Suspect

The most common words with a similar meaning to Suspect:

Chiefly dialect: suspicion
Chiefly British: dodgy
accused, arrestee, defendant, detainee, fish, criminal, crook, culprit, lawbreaker, malefactor, miscreant, offender, misdemeanant, accomplice, principal, desperado, outlaw, convict, jailbird, perp, perpetrator, evildoer, gallows bird, misdoer, misfeasor, sinner, transgressor, trespasser, villain, wrongdoer, blackhander, button man, gangster, hoodlum, hooligan, mobster, racketeer, thug, assume, conjecture

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Suspect

Words with the opposite meaning of Suspect:

gangbuster, lawman, trust, certain, hands-down, incontestable, indisputable, indubitable, questionless, sure, undeniable, undoubted, unproblematic, unquestionable

Related Words for Suspect

conclude, deduce, gather, infer, hypothecate, hypothesize, theorize, believe, conceive, expect, judge, reckon, take, think, disbelieve, discount, discredit, negate, alleged, so-called, supposed, moot, ambiguous, open, unclear, uncertain, undecided, undetermined, far-fetched, flimsy

Near Antonyms of Suspect

demonstrate, document, establish, prove, substantiate, validate, ascertain, determine, find out, learn, bank (on or upon), count (on or upon), depend (on or upon), rely (on or upon), decisive, definitive, clear, obvious, open-and-shut, positive

Word Forms of Suspect

Inflections: suspected, suspecting, suspects

Origin & Etymology of Suspect

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin suspectus, from past participle of suspicere

First known use: 14th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Suspect

Frequently Asked Questions about Suspect

What does "Suspect" mean?

"Suspect" means regarded or deserving to be regarded with suspicion, suspected. As an an adjective, a noun and a verb, it is defined as: regarded or deserving to be regarded with suspicion, suspected. It has 4 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Suspect"?

Other words for "Suspect" include accused, arrestee, defendant, detainee, fish, criminal, crook and culprit. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Suspect" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Suspect"?

There are 101 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Suspect". Common alternatives include accused, arrestee, defendant, detainee, fish, criminal, crook, culprit, lawbreaker and malefactor.

What is the opposite of "Suspect"?

Antonyms of "Suspect" include gangbuster, lawman, trust, certain, hands-down, incontestable, indisputable and indubitable. Near antonyms include demonstrate, document, establish and prove.

How do you use "Suspect" in a sentence?

Examples of "Suspect" in a sentence: "we suspected that the runaway was a little younger than the 16 she claimed to be—more like 13"; "I suspected him from the moment he said he was an old friend of my sister's, since I probably would have heard about him"; "since she was carrying no cash or credit cards, her claim to the store's detectives that she had intended to pay for the items was suspect".

Is "Suspect" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Suspect" can be used as an adjective, a noun and a verb, depending on the context.

Is "Suspect" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a B2-level word, "Suspect" is typical of Cambridge B2 First (FCE), IELTS band 5.5–6.5, TOEFL iBT 72–94, PTE Academic 59–75, TOEIC Listening & Reading 785+.

How do you pronounce "Suspect"?

"Suspect" is pronounced /ˈsə-ˌspekt/ as an adjective and /sə-ˈspekt/ as a verb and divided into syllables as sus·pect.