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 of suspicious

• questionable
• dubious
• disputable
• suspect
• doubtful
• problematic
• debatable

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

The lawsuit alleged that Bank of America failed to file suspicious activity reports, known as SARs, until after Epstein's death in 2019. —CBS News, 28 Mar. 2026

The idea was that a couple with a kid in tow wouldn’t look too suspicious taking a walk near a police station or an Army base. —Zayd Ayers Dohrn, New Yorker, 28 Mar. 2026

The plaintiffs allege the bank failed to properly monitor accounts and did not file timely suspicious activity reports concerning questionable transactions, including transfers Black made to Epstein from his Bank of America account. —Chloe Atkins, NBC news, 28 Mar. 2026

How broader monitoring can help Even with these steps, some suspicious activity may not show up in one place or right away. —Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 28 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for suspicious

• adventitious
• cementitious
• expeditious
• inauspicious
• injudicious
• meretricious
• repetitious
• superstitious
• surreptitious
• unambitious
• unpropitious
• unsuspicious

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