suspect
[verb]
Synonyms:
- believe, consider, feel, guess, speculate, suppose
- distrust, doubt, mistrust
[adjective]
Synonyms:
- dubious, doubtful, iffy (informal), questionable

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Related Idioms: a bit thin (or thick), open to suspicion, have doubts about, be inclined to think

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

I. sus‧pect¹ S2 W3 /səˈspekt/ verb [transitive not in progressive]
[Word Family: adjective: suspect, suspected, unsuspecting, suspicious; noun: suspect, suspicion; verb: suspect; adverb: suspiciously]
[Date: 1400-1500; Language: Latin; Origin: suspectare, from the past participle of suspicere 'to look up at, admire, distrust', from sub- 'up, secretly' + specere 'to look at']

1. to think that something is probably true, especially something bad
suspect (that)
I suspected that there was something wrong with the engine.
She strongly suspected he was lying to her.
She’s not going to be very happy about this, I suspect.

2. to think that something bad has happened or is happening:
The doctors suspected pneumonia.
suspect murder/foul play
The position of the body led the police to suspect murder.
suspect something/nothing/anything
He never suspected anything.

3. to think that someone is probably guilty of a crime:
Who do you suspect?
suspect somebody of (doing) something
He’s suspected of murder.
Pilcher was suspected of giving away government secrets to the enemy.

4. to think that something is not honest or true:
I began to suspect his motives in inviting me.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

II. sus‧pect² /ˈsʌspekt/ noun [countable]
[Word Family: adjective: suspect, suspected, unsuspecting, suspicious; noun: suspect, suspicion; verb: suspect; adverb: suspiciously]

1. someone who is thought to be guilty of a crime:
Two suspects were arrested today in connection with the robbery.
Police have issued a description of the murder suspect.
suspect for
the two suspects for the robbery
suspect in
a suspect in a burglary case
main/prime/chief suspect
Davies is still the chief suspect.

2. the usual suspects the people or things that are usually involved in or responsible for a particular activity:
a wine shop stocking all the usual suspects: wines from California, France, Australia

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

III. suspect³ adjective
[Word Family: adjective: suspect, suspected, unsuspecting, suspicious; noun: suspect, suspicion; verb: suspect; adverb: suspiciously]
[Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: Latin, past participle of suspicere; ⇒ suspect¹]

1. not likely to be completely honest Synonym : dodgy:
I’ve always thought he was a bit of a suspect character.
The company was involved in some highly suspect business dealings.

2. not likely to be completely true:
The two men were convicted on the basis of some highly suspect evidence.

3. likely to have problems and not work well:
The engine sounded a bit suspect.

4. [only before noun] likely to contain a bomb or something illegal or dangerous:
Police were called in to check out a suspect van.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

suspect
adj.
VERBS be, look, seem, sound | render sth The theory is rendered suspect by its reliance on now discredited sources.
ADV. deeply, highly, very Some of the evidence was deeply suspect.
increasingly | a bit, a little, rather, slightly, somewhat | politically the forced adoption of children of politically suspect citizens

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

suspect
noun
ADJ. chief, main, number one, prime She has been identified as the prime suspect.
likely, obvious, possible, potential | usual | murder, terrorist
VERB + SUSPECT have, identify (sb as) The police have several suspects.
arrest, detain, hold, round up The army rounded up all the usual terrorist suspects.
interrogate, interview, question | release | extradite, hand over
PREP. ~ for The letter makes him a possible suspect for her murder.
~ in Two men were arrested as suspects in the bombing.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

suspect
verb
I. believe that sth may happen/be true
ADV. strongly | rather I rather suspect they were trying to get rid of me.
rightly, wrongly | all along, always These revelations only prove what I suspected all along.
VERB + SUSPECT begin to | have reason to She had no reason to suspect that Sylvia had not been telling the truth.
PHRASES be widely suspected It was widely suspected that the cadets had been acting on orders.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

suspect
II. believe sb is guilty of sth
ADV. rightly, wrongly
PREP. of He was wrongly suspected of the crime.
VERB + SUSPECT have grounds to, have reason to
PHRASES have grounds for suspecting sb/sth

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

suspect

the prime/chief/main suspect
She didn’t realise he was the prime suspect in a murder case.
the number one suspect (=the main suspect)
I was the one who found her. And that makes me the number one suspect for her murder.
a murder/burglary etc suspect
The murder suspect is described as in his early 20s, wearing a baseball type cap and a dark jacket.
a possible suspect
Thr police drew up a list of possible subjects.
arrest/detain a suspect
Detectives arrested the suspect after a five-day undercover operation.
question/interrogate/interview a suspect
Police confirmed that six suspects are being questioned.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

suspect
verb
BAD: Army intelligence suspected him as a secret agent.
GOOD: Army intelligence suspected him of being a secret agent.

Usage Note:
suspect sb of (doing/being) sth (NOT as ): 'The police suspect her of receiving stolen goods.' 'Their father is suspected of being connected with the local mafia.'

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Common Errors ▲