suspicious

adjective

sə-ˈspi-shəs How to pronounce suspicious (audio)
Definition of suspiciousnext
1
as in questionable
giving good reason for being doubted, questioned, or challenged suspicious claims of being the rightful owner of the property

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in skeptical
inclined to doubt or question claims suspicious of any menu dish having a name she can't pronounce

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in unsure
not feeling sure about the truth, wisdom, or trustworthiness of someone or something you should be very suspicious of those telephone calls from people telling you that you're the winner of a contest you never entered

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of suspicious Jared DeMarinis, Maryland's state administrator of elections, said the suspicious envelope was intercepted before it was delivered. — Adam Thompson, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026 Federal law enforcement is investigating after suspicious substances were sent to more than a dozen election offices across the country. — Kayla Hayempour, NBC news, 16 Oct. 2026 Officials from California, Delaware, and New York reported receiving suspicious packages. — Ashley Soebroto, Houston Chronicle, 16 Oct. 2026 The Senate Sargent at Arms recommended treating any suspicious letters with caution, and that suspicious letters contain multiple postage markings, according to the notice. — ABC News, 15 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for suspicious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for suspicious
  1. questionable
  2. skeptical
  3. unsure
  4. dubious
  5. cautious
  6. uncertain
  7. disputable
  8. careful
Adjective
  • Falcons defensive end Za'Darius Smith (neck) is active after being listed as questionable.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Buffalo could score efficiently without needing its questionable receivers at full strength.
    — Dan Zaksheske OutKick, FOXNews.com, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of questionable
Adjective
  • Others are skeptical the task force can accomplish much in such a short time period, arguing that eventually sweeping new legislation will be needed to regulate AI.
    — Ashley Gold, semafor.com, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Though Netflix is profitable, analysts say the company hasn’t produced enough hits and are skeptical of its plans to grow its subscriber base.
    — Samantha Masunaga, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of skeptical
Adjective
  • Residents said most of the children killed lived in the Dir Colony neighborhood, where the school is located, leaving them unsure which bereaved family to visit first to offer condolences.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Hujar is unsure of his prospects, curious where his talent and ambition might lead, embedded in a community that may or may not take him there.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of unsure
Adjective
  • If Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is to be believed, America will soon gain the dubious distinction of joining the only four countries on the globe that carry out executions in public.
    — Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Publicly available information from the Pike case, for instance, suggests that the drug may have been of dubious quality and extravasated during administration by Tennessee prison employees.
    — Dr. Jacob Appel, New York Daily News, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of dubious
Adjective
  • For now, a Super El Niño offers a reason for cautious optimism — not a promise of a drought-busting winter.
    — Callie Zanandrie, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026
  • People with certain medical conditions should be particularly cautious about intense, high-speed rides.
    — Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of cautious
Adjective
  • Called Motor Decide, the tool is designed to help industries evaluate electric motor technologies and make informed decisions under uncertain market conditions.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 15 Oct. 2026
  • These industry changes come at an uncertain time as artificial intelligence encroaches on the creative field and consumers are turning to social media platforms for music consumption and discovery.
    — Cerys Davies, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of uncertain
Adjective
  • But revenue coming in at double the projections is not disputable and cannot happen if the tax base runs away.
    — Teresa Ghilarducci, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026
  • However, disputable refereeing decisions, especially in the matches against Italy and Spain, led to allegations that South Korea may have benefited from favorable officiating.
    — Andrew Pereira, Encyclopedia Britannica, 18 June 2026
Definition of disputable
Adjective
  • Full-scale, 10-foot Hulk standins helped actors and camera crews judge his dimensions on set, and even his pants required careful attention.
    — Davide Abbatescianni, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Turning a field into a recognizable maze requires specialized planning and careful execution.
    — Alexa Liacko, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of careful

Browse Nearby Words

suspicions
suspicious
suspiciously
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Suspicious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/suspicious. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of jilt

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All