suss

1 of 2

verb

ˈsəs 

sussed; sussing; susses

transitive verb

1

chiefly British : figure out

—usually used with out

2

chiefly British : to inspect or investigate so as to gain more knowledge

—usually used with out

suss

2 of 2

adjective

less common spelling of sus

slang

: suspicious, suspect

… things became a bit sus when there was a dubious fire on the premises …

—Shannen Findlay

Last week, American Airlines took its turn, canceling over 1,600 flights. Weather was dutifully blamed again, along with staffing shortages. But the latter excuse is, as the kids say, pretty sus. Airlines that accepted federal pandemic relief money (and they all did) were barred from laying off workers.

—Amy Roberts

I used to think that at-home hair colors and dyes were kind of sus, and that there was absolutely no way you could get salon-level color from a box.

—Ama Kwarteng

… she has not questioned how De Bruijn was able to swim that fast, at least not publicly. Others have. "Pretty suss" is the way [Australia's Susie O'Neill] described it …

—Jack McCallum

Examples of suss in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

One way to suss that out is to examine the opening credits, because a TV show’s opening-credits sequence sets the tone. —Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2024

Still, even a newbie to her music would likely suss that there are serious underpinnings to songs that can come off as such fun live. —Chris Willman, Variety, 19 Aug. 2024

Adjective

The timing of the bridal launch may strike some people as slightly suss, as the rumors that Mr. and Mrs. Bieber are heading for divorce are only gaining steam. —Kathleen Walsh, Glamour, 28 Mar. 2024

But paying such close attention to the other guy’s very fancy shoes, to say nothing of the dimensions of his body, is, as the kids say, a bit suss and precisely what makes Trump’s insult camp. —Gabriel N. Rosenberg, The New Republic, 3 Nov. 2023

Word History

Etymology

Verb

by shortening & alteration from suspect

First Known Use

Verb

1966, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing suss

• suss out