suspect
suspect — verb
1. to believe that a certain thing is probably the case or will take place, even wh
to believe that a certain thing is probably the case or will take place, even when you lack full evidence — such as thinking rain is on its way or that a price may increase.
Liam suspected that the flight would be cancelled because of the thick fog.
suspect + that-clause — expressing a belief without proof
The doctor suspects the test results are wrong and has ordered new ones.
Bao suspected rain when he saw dark clouds gathering over the hills.
Many parents suspect the new lunch rules will make things harder for students.
Gita suspected her keys were still in the office after checking her bag twice.
文法句型
suspect + that-clause
suspect + noun phrase + to be
用法筆記
The object is usually a that-clause expressing a belief about something negative or unexpected. This sense differs from sense 2, where the object is a person believed to be guilty of wrongdoing.
常見錯誤
2. to believe that a particular person is probably guilty of an illegal act or wron
to believe that a particular person is probably guilty of an illegal act or wrongdoing, even though you do not yet have clear proof — for instance, suspecting an employee of theft or a driver of causing an accident.
Hamza was suspected of stealing cash from the shop where he worked.
passive: be suspected of [wrongdoing]
The police suspected the driver of causing the accident on purpose.
suspect + someone + of + gerund
Lakan suspected his neighbour had broken the fence while moving furniture.
Officers suspected Jack of involvement and took him in for questioning.
The school suspected several students of cheating after the test scores came in.
- accuse
stronger — accusation is a formal claim, while suspicion is a belief without certainty
- point the finger at
informal idiom meaning to identify someone as likely guilty
文法句型
suspect + someone + of + noun/gerund
be suspected of + noun/gerund
用法筆記
Frequently used in the passive pattern 'be suspected of + noun/gerund' to describe the person under investigation. The active pattern 'suspect someone of (doing) something' names who is doing the suspecting. Distinguish from sense 1: sense 2 takes a person or persons as object, not a situation or outcome.
常見錯誤
3. to hold doubts about whether something is honest, safe, or dependable — for exam
to hold doubts about whether something is honest, safe, or dependable — for example, distrusting a person's motives, a bargain that looks too good to be real, or food with a strange smell.
Élise suspected the cheap offer was a trick and decided not to buy anything.
suspect + that-clause — doubting the value of an offer
The manager suspected the supplier's honesty after goods arrived damaged twice.
suspect + noun phrase (honesty) — distrusting character
Ignacio suspected his friend's sudden generosity and asked what had changed.
Sade suspected the website was fake because the address looked unusual.
- distrust
very close in meaning; 'distrust' is a general lack of trust, while 'suspect' focuses on having reasons to doubt
- question
more active — questioning something means examining it critically; suspecting is a state of doubt
- doubt
broader; 'doubt' can be about any claim, while 'suspect' implies you think something specific is wrong
文法句型
suspect + noun phrase (motives, honesty, intentions)
suspect + that-clause
用法筆記
The object is typically an abstract quality (motives, honesty, intentions) or a thing whose reliability is in question — not a person suspected of a crime (that belongs to sense 2). Common in everyday contexts like food safety, business deals, and online information.
常見錯誤
suspect — noun
1. a person whom the authorities believe may be guilty of an illegal act, even thou
a person whom the authorities believe may be guilty of an illegal act, even though a court has not yet made a final judgment.
The main suspect in the burglary case was a former employee of the shop.
collocation: main suspect
Detectives watched the suspect for two days before making the arrest.
The police released one suspect but kept the other in custody for more questions.
A witness identified the suspect from a line-up at the police station.
- accused
stronger — the accused has been formally charged; a suspect is only under investigation
- culprit
suggests the person is already known to be guilty; 'suspect' leaves room for innocence
- person of interest
softer than suspect; a person of interest may not even be a formal suspect yet
文法句型
the + suspect
prime/main suspect
murder suspect
用法筆記
Commonly modified by 'prime' (most likely), 'main' (central to the case), or 'murder' (type of crime suspected). A suspect is not the same as a defendant — a suspect becomes a defendant only after formal charges are filed.
常見錯誤
suspect — adjective
1. seeming false, unsafe, or dishonest — used to describe information, situations,
seeming false, unsafe, or dishonest — used to describe information, situations, or objects that raise doubt, such as a package left in a public place or an explanation that does not add up.
Airport staff held a suspect package aside and X-rayed it for safety.
collocation: suspect package — common security context
Talia found the email suspect because it asked for her bank password.
find + noun + suspect — expressing personal doubt
The data from the experiment looked suspect so the team ran the test again.
Christopher's explanation for the missing money sounded suspect to the auditor.
Kofi thought the old bridge looked suspect and decided to take another route.
- suspicious
much more common; 'suspect' is often used in specific fixed phrases (suspect package), while 'suspicious' is used more broadly
- questionable
slightly more formal; 'questionable' suggests uncertainty about quality or truth
- dubious
similar to suspect but slightly more formal; carries a stronger sense of disbelief
- trustworthy
reliable and deserving of confidence
- safe
free from risk or danger
- reliable
consistently good and able to be trusted
文法句型
seems/looks/sounds suspect
suspect + noun
用法筆記
Often placed before a noun (suspect package, suspect behaviour) or after linking verbs (looks suspect, sounds suspect). Unlike the verb form, the adjective focuses on the quality of the thing itself, not on the person doing the suspecting.