Synonyms of suspicion

suspicion 1 of 2

noun

sə-ˈspi-shən 

1

as in doubt

a feeling or attitude that one does not know the truth, truthfulness, or trustworthiness of someone or something

all his promises were received with well-deserved suspicion

Synonyms & Similar Words

• doubt
• skepticism
• uncertainty
• distrust
• mistrust
• disbelief
• concern
• reservation
• misgiving
• dubiety
• query
• incertitude
• distrustfulness
• paranoia
• misdoubt
• dubitation
• incredulity
• mistrustfulness
• anxiety
• wariness
• unbelief
• qualm
• compunction
• tremor
• scruple
• niggle

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• belief
• conviction
• trust
• confidence
• certainty
• assurance
• surety
• faith
• certitude
• sureness
• credence

2

as in hint

a very small amount

new parents who were alarmed by just a suspicion of a rash on their baby's chest

Synonyms & Similar Words

• hint
• glimmer
• shred
• sprinkling
• splash
• speck
• touch
• bit
• little
• trace
• spark
• tad
• scruple
• lick
• particle
• handful
• smell
• strain
• ray
• scintilla
• smidgen
• smack
• dab
• streak
• ounce
• shadow
• smidgeon
• sliver
• spot
• smidgin
• spatter
• minimum
• soupçon
• crumb
• pinch
• smidge
• dram
• peanuts
• shade
• dash
• fleck
• mite
• ace
• dose
• portion
• nip
• drop in the bucket
• grain
• bite
• driblet
• drop
• modicum
• semblance
• taste
• whit
• skosh
• part
• vestige
• iota
• snap
• molecule
• syllable
• atom
• section
• mote
• patch
• fragment
• smattering
• jot
• scrap
• scattering
• morsel
• minim
• shiver
• dot
• tittle
• nibble
• splinter
• hoot
• granule
• flake
• shard
• flyspeck
• smatter
• chip
• shaving
• paring
• tatter
• nubbin
• clipping
• shot
• smithereens

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• quantity
• mass
• wealth
• abundance
• lot
• pile
• deal
• plenty
• loads
• mountain
• mess
• profusion
• heaps
• raft
• stack
• bushel
• bundle
• barrel
• bucket
• boatload
• reams
• volume
• gobs
• scads
• fistful
• peck
• embarrassment
• excess
• wad
• lashings
• oodles
• passel
• surplus
• much
• overflow
• potful
• lashins
• overabundance
• overkill
• superfluity
• surfeit
• oversupply
• bonanza
• superabundance
• overmuch
• overage
• lump
• slab
• chunk
• hunk

suspicion

2 of 2

verb

chiefly dialect

as in to guess

to form an opinion from little or no evidence

no one will ever suspicion that I'm the one who pulled the prank

Synonyms & Similar Words

• guess
• assume
• suspect
• suppose
• think
• presume
• speculate
• imagine
• surmise
• believe
• conjecture
• daresay
• infer
• conclude
• expect
• deduce
• gather
• hypothesize
• theorize
• reckon
• judge
• conceive
• hypothecate
• take

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• prove
• establish
• demonstrate
• determine
• validate
• document
• find out
• ascertain
• learn
• substantiate

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun suspicion differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of suspicion are doubt, dubiety, mistrust, skepticism, and uncertainty. While all these words mean "lack of sureness about someone or something," suspicion stresses lack of faith in the truth, reality, fairness, or reliability of something or someone.

regarded the stranger with suspicion

When would doubt be a good substitute for suspicion?

The words doubt and suspicion are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, doubt suggests both uncertainty and inability to make a decision.

plagued by doubts as to what to do

When is dubiety a more appropriate choice than suspicion?

Although the words dubiety and suspicion have much in common, dubiety stresses a wavering between conclusions.

felt some dubiety about its practicality

When is it sensible to use mistrust instead of suspicion?

The words mistrust and suspicion can be used in similar contexts, but mistrust implies a genuine doubt based upon suspicion.

had a great mistrust of doctors

When can skepticism be used instead of suspicion?

In some situations, the words skepticism and suspicion are roughly equivalent. However, skepticism implies unwillingness to believe without conclusive evidence.

an economic forecast greeted with skepticism

In what contexts can uncertainty take the place of suspicion?

The synonyms uncertainty and suspicion are sometimes interchangeable, but uncertainty may range from a falling short of certainty to an almost complete lack of conviction or knowledge especially about an outcome or result.

assumed the role of manager without hesitation or uncertainty

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of suspicion

Noun

Oliva does his best to brush this off, but Wallace can’t shake her suspicion that they’re being led astray. —Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 8 Aug. 2025

Agents who participated in probes of the bloody Jan. 6 riot, which led to hundreds of successful prosecutions, and the investigations of Trump himself are looked upon with suspicion by MAGA loyalists, even though the agents were following orders from the Justice Department. —Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 7 Aug. 2025

Luke Baumgartner, a former Army officer and extremism researcher at George Washington University, says the Tennessee armory break-ins do appear to bear the hallmarks of an inside job—assuming suspicions about the intruders knowing the locations of secure keys are accurate. —Dell Cameron, Wired News, 7 Aug. 2025

Doing so confirms suspicions among frustrated voters that their votes cannot bring about change, and that the only remaining option is the wholesale destruction of our political system. —Daniel Brennan, Baltimore Sun, 6 Aug. 2025