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

Asked at a press conference whether suspicious activity was possible, officials said there's not been any evidence of foul play. —Connor Giffin, The Courier-Journal, 22 Nov. 2024

Detectives don't believe the community is in danger, but asked anyone who sees suspicious activity or has information about this morning's robbery to call 911. —Ryan Murphy, The Indianapolis Star, 21 Nov. 2024

The company claimed this step was part of its effort to maintain transparency, providing preliminary details and recommendations to help clients monitor for any potential suspicious activity. —Lars Daniel, Forbes, 20 Nov. 2024

Police questioning that morning began with Diego Ibarra, who was wearing what appeared to be the same black Adidas hat as a suspicious individual who was captured on security camera footage on the day of Riley's murder. —Audrey Conklin, Fox News, 18 Nov. 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