Definitions for: Suspect


[n] a person or institution against whom an action is brought in a court of law; the person being sued or accused
[n] someone who is under suspicion
[adj] (informal) not as expected; "there was something fishy about the accident"; "up to some funny business"; "some definitely queer goings-on"; "a shady deal"; "her motives were suspect"; "suspicious behavior"
[v] regard as untrustworthy; regard with suspicion; have no faith or confidence in
[v] imagine to be the case or true or probable; "I suspect he is a fugitive"; "I surmised that the butler did it"
[v] hold in suspicion; believe to be guilty; "The U.S. suspected Bin Laden as the mastermind behind the terrorist attacks"



Webster (1913) Definition: Sus*pect", a. [L. suspectus, p. p. of suspicere to
look up, admire, esteem, to look at secretly or askance, to
mistrust; sub under + specere to look: cf. F. suspect
suspected, suspicious. See Spy, and cf. Suspicion.]
1. Suspicious; inspiring distrust. [Obs.]

Suspect [was] his face, suspect his word also.
--Chaucer.

2. Suspected; distrusted. [Obs.]

What I can do or offer is suspect. --Milton.


Sus*pect", n. [LL. suspectus. See Suspect, a.]
1. Suspicion. [Obs.] --Chaucer.

So with suspect, with fear and grief, dismayed.
--Fairfax.

2. One who, or that which, is suspected; an object of
suspicion; -- formerly applied to persons and things; now,
only to persons suspected of crime. --Bacon.


Sus*pect", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Suspected; p. pr. &
vb. n. Suspecting.]
1. To imagine to exist; to have a slight or vague opinion of
the existence of, without proof, and often upon weak
evidence or no evidence; to mistrust; to surmise; --
commonly used regarding something unfavorable, hurtful, or
wrong; as, to suspect the presence of disease.

Nothing makes a man suspect much, more than to know
little; and therefore men should remedy suspicion by
procuring to know more. --Bacon.

From her hand I could suspect no ill. --Milton.

2. To imagine to be guilty, upon slight evidence, or without
proof; as, to suspect one of equivocation.

3. To hold to be uncertain; to doubt; to mistrust; to
distruct; as, to suspect the truth of a story. --Addison.

4. To look up to; to respect. [Obs.]

Syn: To mistrust; distrust; surmise; doubt.


Sus*pect", v. i.
To imagine guilt; to have a suspicion or suspicions; to be
suspicious.

If I suspect without cause, why then make sport at me.
--Shak.

Synonyms: defendant, distrust, fishy, funny, mistrust, queer, questionable, shady, surmise, suspicious

Antonyms: bank, complainant, plaintiff, rely, swear, trust

See Also: accused, codefendant, co-defendant, disbelieve, discredit, doubt, guess, hazard, human, imagine, individual, litigant, litigator, mortal, murder suspect, opine, person, rape suspect, reckon, robbery suspect, somebody, someone, soul, suppose, think, venture

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