Suspicious — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective /sə-ˈspi-shəs/ sus·pi·cious

Meaning & Definition of Suspicious

Suspicious (adjective)

  1. tending to arouse suspicion, questionable
  2. disposed to suspect, distrustful
  3. expressing or indicative of suspicion

Suspicious (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

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

    "suspicious claims of being the rightful owner of the property"

    similar: debatable, disputable, dodgy (chiefly British), doubtable, doubtful, dubious, dubitable, equivocal, fishy, problematic, queer, questionable, shady, shaky, suspect
    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

  2. inclined to doubt or question claims

    "suspicious of any menu dish having a name she can't pronounce"

    similar: disbelieving, distrustful, doubting, incredulous, mistrustful, negativistic, questioning, show-me, skeptical, suspecting, unbelieving
    related: paranoid, critical, puzzled, quizzical, careful, cautious, guarded, gun-shy, leery, wary, watchful, cynical, experienced, knowing, sophisticated, worldly, worldly-wise, curious, inquiring, inquisitive, nosy, snoopy, uncertain, unconvinced, undecided, undetermined, unsettled, unsure, hesitant
    opposite: credulous, gullible, trustful, trusting, uncritical, unquestioning
    near: green, ingenuous, innocent, naive, simple, simpleminded, unknowing, unsophisticated, unworldly, wide-eyed, certain, confident, positive, sure, callow, inexperienced, raw, childlike, idealistic, impractical, beguiled, deceived, duped, gulled, tricked, careless, heedless, unsuspecting, unsuspicious, unwary

  3. not feeling sure about the truth, wisdom, or trustworthiness of someone or something

    "you should be very suspicious of those telephone calls from people telling you that you're the winner of a contest you never entered"

    similar: distrustful, doubtful, dubious, hinky (slang), mistrustful, skeptical, trustless, uncertain, unconvinced, undecided, unsettled, unsure, on the fence
    related: ambivalent, conflicted, equivocal, diffident, insecure, halting, hesitant, indecisive, irresolute, vacillating, wavering
    opposite: certain, convinced, positive, sure
    near: assured, confident, sanguine, self-assured, decisive, determined, resolute

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Suspicious

The most common words with a similar meaning to Suspicious:

Chiefly British: dodgy
Slang: hinky
debatable, disputable, doubtable, doubtful, dubious, dubitable, equivocal, fishy, problematic, queer, questionable, shady, shaky, suspect, disbelieving, distrustful, doubting, incredulous, mistrustful, negativistic, questioning, show-me, skeptical, suspecting, unbelieving, trustless, uncertain, unconvinced, undecided, unsettled, unsure, on the fence

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Suspicious

Words with the opposite meaning of Suspicious:

certain, hands-down, incontestable, indisputable, indubitable, questionless, sure, undeniable, undoubted, unproblematic, unquestionable, credulous, gullible, trustful, trusting, uncritical, unquestioning, convinced, positive

Related Words for Suspicious

alleged, so-called, supposed, moot, ambiguous, open, unclear, undetermined, far-fetched, flimsy, improbable, unlikely, weak, paranoid, critical, puzzled, quizzical, careful, cautious, guarded, gun-shy, leery, wary, watchful, cynical, experienced, knowing, sophisticated, worldly, worldly-wise

Near Antonyms of Suspicious

decisive, definitive, clear, obvious, open-and-shut, green, ingenuous, innocent, naive, simple, simpleminded, unknowing, unsophisticated, unworldly, wide-eyed, confident, callow, inexperienced, raw, childlike, idealistic, impractical, beguiled, deceived, duped, gulled, tricked, careless, heedless, unsuspecting

Word Forms of Suspicious

Derived words: suspiciously (adverb), suspiciousness (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Suspicious

First known use: 14th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Suspicious

Frequently Asked Questions about Suspicious

What does "Suspicious" mean?

"Suspicious" means tending to arouse suspicion, questionable. As an adjective, it is defined as: tending to arouse suspicion, questionable. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Suspicious"?

Other words for "Suspicious" include debatable, disputable, dodgy, doubtable, doubtful, dubious, dubitable and equivocal. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Suspicious" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Suspicious"?

There are 79 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Suspicious". Common alternatives include debatable, disputable, dodgy, doubtable, doubtful, dubious, dubitable, equivocal, fishy and problematic.

What is the opposite of "Suspicious"?

Antonyms of "Suspicious" include certain, hands-down, incontestable, indisputable, indubitable, questionless, sure and undeniable. Near antonyms include decisive, definitive, clear and obvious.

How do you use "Suspicious" in a sentence?

Examples of "Suspicious" in a sentence: "suspicious claims of being the rightful owner of the property"; "suspicious of any menu dish having a name she can't pronounce"; "you should be very suspicious of those telephone calls from people telling you that you're the winner of a contest you never entered".

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

"Suspicious" is an adjective.

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

As a C1-level word, "Suspicious" is typical of Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE), IELTS band 7.0–8.0, TOEFL iBT 95–113, PTE Academic 76–84, TOEIC Listening & Reading 945+. Advanced words like this are also useful for the GRE, SAT, GMAT, and LSAT.

How do you pronounce "Suspicious"?

"Suspicious" is pronounced /sə-ˈspi-shəs/ and divided into syllables as sus·pi·cious.