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

To explain its results, RealorRender identifies the suspicious regions of images as heatmaps (grids of colored squares indicating intensity, as with topographical maps) and segments of contiguous image elements. — New Atlas, 2 Aug. 2026

Local authorities in Washoe County said the death was not deemed suspicious, according to Gamble. — Michael McGough, Sacbee.com, 1 Aug. 2026

The companies that reduce fraud most effectively will be the ones that combine strong technology with clear accountability, employee awareness and a culture where people feel empowered to challenge suspicious activity, said Sidhu. — Ray Fernandez, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026

Langley said that his company has recently rolled out a robust automatic audit process by which suspicious or questionable activity is flagged for administrators. — T.m. Brown, CNN Money, 30 July 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