suspicious

adjective

sus·​pi·​cious sə-ˈspi-shəs 

1

: tending to arouse suspicion : questionable

suspicious characters

2

: disposed to suspect : distrustful

suspicious of strangers

3

: expressing or indicative of suspicion

a suspicious glance

suspiciously adverb

suspiciousness noun

Synonyms

• debatable
• disputable
• dodgy [chiefly British]
• doubtable
• doubtful
• dubious
• dubitable
• equivocal
• fishy
• problematic
• problematical
• queer
• questionable
• shady
• shaky
• suspect

Examples of suspicious in a Sentence

We were instructed to report any suspicious activity in the neighborhood.

The suspicious vehicle was reported to police.

Suspicious characters were seen hanging around the bank.

He found a suspicious lump on his back and was afraid it might be cancer.

Officials are suspicious about her death.

His manner made me suspicious.

Recent Examples on the Web

This could be weird network traffic, suspicious logins or unauthorized data access. —Sarath Babu Yalavarthi, Forbes, 27 Dec. 2024

Listen to this article Three people were arrested in Newington early Tuesday when officers found a gun and crack cocaine while investigating a suspicious vehicle in a condo complex parking lot. —Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 24 Dec. 2024

And don't be afraid to ask for help or report suspicious activity. —Kurt Knutsson, Cyberguy Report, Fox News, 24 Dec. 2024

The area was swept, and no suspicious devices were found, according to Bennett. —Stephanie Butzer, The Denver Post, 23 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

suspicious

adjective

sus·​pi·​cious sə-ˈspish-əs 

1

: likely to arouse suspicion : questionable

suspicious behavior

2

: likely to suspect or distrust

suspicious of strangers

3

: showing suspicion

a suspicious glance

suspiciously adverb

suspiciousness noun