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

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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

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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

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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 That’s when doctors found something suspicious after her annual mammogram and asked her to come back for a sonogram — then a biopsy, and finally an MRI. — Larry Luxner, Sun Sentinel, 25 Aug. 2026 The speed and scale of the boom have also prompted questions over whether some of the activity could be unusual or suspicious. — Inzamam Rashid, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2026 But Eric became suspicious and soon figured out a party was in the works. — Kelsey Monstrola, USA Today, 25 Aug. 2026 Some also alert you to suspicious activity tied to your identity. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 25 Aug. 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
  • Currently at issue are three forms of gambling — two legal, one questionable.
    — Joe Ferguson, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Johnny Marr has another message for those with questionable perspectives.
    — SPIN Staff, SPIN, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of questionable
Adjective
  • The tie-up should help some skeptical investors grow more confident that Salesforce — thanks to troves of proprietary customer data housed within its applications — has a role to play in this new AI world.
    — Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Price likened his attraction to the format to his early embrace of streaming entertainment back in the days when Hollywood remained skeptical of its staying power.
    — Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of skeptical
Adjective
  • Victims’ families and experts are unsure the higher amounts will be enough to get tipsters to come forward, citing people's fears and distrust of the federal government.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Victims’ families and experts are unsure the higher amounts will be enough to get tipsters to come forward, citing people’s fears and distrust of the federal government.
    — Sarah Raza, Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of unsure
Adjective
  • Overt leaflet and loudspeaker campaigns, which the US military also used during the Gulf War and in Iraq and Afghanistan, were meant to weaken morale and instill fear (to dubious success).
    — Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Though the current protests were sparked by the Kushner’s access to advantages from the Albanian government, the Sazan Island incident was a greater representation of Rama’s many dubious dealings.
    — Naomi Tomky, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of dubious
Adjective
  • Florida’s Republican gubernatorial ticket is defying historic trends for a political party traditionally known for elevating white men to leadership positions — even as the GOP remains cautious about drawing attention to the shift.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Bindi, a young female wallaby, is inquisitive and extremely curious, while Wally, a young male wallaby, is more cautious and likes to look at things from afar, Borozenets said.
    — Addison Wright, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of cautious
Adjective
  • What remains uncertain is how damaging the resolution will be—and for whom.
    — MICHAEL PETTIS, Foreign Affairs, 28 Aug. 2026
  • When markets are uncertain about how central bankers will respond to incoming data, speculation can fill the void, according to a Barclays report last month.
    — Matt Egan, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 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
  • Apply the serum directly to sparse areas of your brows, being careful to avoid letting the product touch other areas of your skin.
    — Iman Balagam, Vogue, 27 Aug. 2026
  • According to the researchers, careful process design and optimization as well as architecture simplification could help in solving most of these issues, something that industrial production focuses on much more than academic researchers.
    — Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of careful

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suspicions
suspicious
suspiciously
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Cite this Entry

“Suspicious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/suspicious. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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