suspicious (adj.)
mid-14c., suspecious, "deserving of or exciting suspicion, open to doubt," from Anglo-French suspecious, Old French sospecious (Modern French suspectieux), from Latin suspiciosus, suspitiosus "exciting suspicion, causing mistrust," also "full of suspicion, ready to suspect," from stem of suspicere "look up at" (see suspect (adj.)).
The meaning "full of suspicion, inclined to suspect or believe ill" in English is attested from late 14c. Poe (c. 1845) proposed suspectful to take one of the two conflicting senses. Other available words include suspicable "liable to suspect; that may be suspected" (1610s); suspicional "of or pertaining to suspicion" (1890). Related: suspiciously; suspiciousness.
updated on September 07, 2022
Dictionary entries near suspicious
suspenders
suspense
suspenseful
suspension
suspicion
suspicious
suspiral
suspiration
suspire
Susquehanna
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