suspect

English

Etymology

Latin suspectus, perfect passive participle of suspiciō (“mistrust, suspect”), from sus-, combining form of sub (“under”), + speciō (“watch, look at”).

Pronunciation

Adjective, noun

• enPR: sŭs'pĕkt, IPA: /ˈsʌs.pɛkt/, SAMPA: /"sVs.pEkt/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Verb

• enPR: səs.pĕkt', IPA: /səsˈpɛkt/, SAMPA: /s@s"pEkt/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛkt

Verb

suspect (third-person singular simple present suspects, present participle suspecting, simple past and past participle suspected)

1. (transitive) To imagine or suppose (something) to be true without evidence.

   I suspect his theory.

2. (transitive) To distrust or have doubts about (something or someone).

   I suspect him of lying.

3. (transitive) To believe (someone) to be guilty.

   If you asked me who the thief is, I would suspect him.

4. (intransitive) To have suspicion.

Synonyms

• (imagine or suppose to be true): imagine, suppose, think
• (distrust, have doubts about): distrust, doubt
• (believe to be guilty): accuse, point the finger at

Translations

imagine or suppose to be true, regardless if there is evidence

Chinese: Mandarin: 相信 (cmn) (xiāngxìn) Finnish: epäillä (fi) German: vermuten (de)

Portuguese: suspeitar (pt) Russian: подозревать (ru) (podozrevát’) impf., заподозрить (ru) (zapodózrit’) pf., полагать (ru) (polagát’) impf. Swahili: mshukiwa (sw)

distrust, have doubts about

Chinese: Mandarin: 懷疑 (cmn), 怀疑 (cmn) (huáiyí), 嫌疑 (cmn) (xiányí) Dutch: wantrouwen (nl), twijfelen (nl) aan, betwijfelen (nl) Finnish: epäillä (fi) German: misstrauen (de)

Greek: υποψιάζομαι (el), υποπτεύομαι (el) Portuguese: suspeitar (pt) Russian: подозревать (ru) (podozrevát’) impf., заподозрить (ru) (zapodózrit’) pf. Swahili: mshukiwa (sw)

believe to be guilty

Arabic: ...اشتبه ب (ištábaha bi...) Chinese: Mandarin: 懷疑 (cmn), 怀疑 (cmn) (huáiyí), 嫌疑 (cmn) (xiányí) Czech: podezřívat (cs), podezírat (cs) Danish: suspekt (da) Dutch: verdenken (nl) Finnish: epäillä (fi) French: soupçonner (fr) German: verdächtigen (de) Greek: υποψιάζομαι (el), υποπτεύομαι (el) Hungarian: gyanúsít (hu) Italian: sospettare (it)

Japanese: 疑う (うたがう, utagau) Korean: 의심하다 (euisimhada) Polish: podejrzewać (pl) Portuguese: suspeitar (pt) Russian: подозревать (ru) (podozrevát’) impf., заподозрить (ru) (zapodózrit’) pf. Slovene: sumiti Spanish: sospechar (es) Swahili: mshukiwa (sw) Swedish: misstänka (sv) Telugu: అనుమానించు (anumaaniMchu)

have suspicion

Chinese: Mandarin: 懷疑 (cmn), 怀疑 (cmn) (huáiyí), 嫌疑 (cmn) (xiányí) Dutch: iets verdacht (nl) vinden Finnish: epäillä (fi) German: einen Verdacht haben (de) Greek: υποψιάζομαι (el), υποπτεύομαι (el)

Hungarian: gyanakszik (hu), gyanakodik (hu) Portuguese: suspeitar (pt) Russian: подозревать (ru) (podozrevát’) impf., заподозрить (ru) (zapodózrit’) pf. Swahili: mshukiwa (sw)

Noun

Wikipedia suspect (plural suspects)

1. A person who is suspected of something, in particular of committing a crime.

   Round up the usual suspects. — Casablanca

Translations

person suspected of something

Chinese: Mandarin: 嫌疑犯 (cmn) (xiányífàn), 嫌疑人 (cmn) (xiányírén) Czech: podezřelý (cs) m. Dutch: verdachte (nl) m. and f. Finnish: epäilty (fi) German: Verdächtiger (de) m., Verdächtige (de) f. Greek: ύποπτος (el) m., ύποπτη (el) f.

Polish: podejrzany (pl) m., podejrzana (pl) f. Portuguese: suspeito (pt) m., suspeita (pt) f. Russian: подозреваемый (ru) (podozrevájemyj), подозреваемая (ru) (podozrevájemaja) f. Swahili: mshukiwa (sw) Telugu: అనుమానితుడు (anumaanituDu) m., అనుమానితురాలు (anumaanituraalu) f.

Adjective

suspect (comparative more suspect, superlative most suspect)

1. To be viewed with suspicion.

   The figures in these accounts look suspect — I think someone has been cooking the books.

Synonyms

• (to be viewed with suspicion): dodgy (informal), doubtful, dubious, fishy (informal), suspicious

Translations

to be viewed with suspicion

Czech: podezřelý (cs) m. Finnish: epäilyttävä (of things and actions), epäilyksenalainen (of a person) German: verdächtig (de) Greek: ύποπτος (el)

Polish: podejrzany (pl) m. Portuguese: suspeito (pt) m., suspeita (pt) f. Swahili: mshukiwa (sw)

Related terms

• suspicion
• suspicious

Anagrams

• cupsets

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French

Etymology

Latin suspectus

Adjective

suspect m. (f. suspecte, m. plural suspects, f. plural suspectes)

1. suspicious; suspect

Noun

suspect m. (plural suspects; feminine suspecte, plural suspectes)

1. a suspect