suspect Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun someone who is under suspicion
  2. noun a person or institution against whom an action is brought in a court of law; the person being sued or accused
    defendant.
  3. verb imagine to be the case or true or probable
    surmise.
    • I suspect he is a fugitive
    • I surmised that the butler did it
  4. verb regard as untrustworthy; regard with suspicion; have no faith or confidence in
    distrust; mistrust.
  5. verb hold in suspicion; believe to be guilty
    • The U.S. suspected Bin Laden as the mastermind behind the terrorist attacks
  6. adjective satellite not as expected
    funny; shady; suspicious; fishy.
    • 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

WordNet

Sus*pect" adjective
Etymology
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.
Definitions
  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" noun
Etymology
LL. suspectus. See Suspect, a.
Definitions
  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" transitive verb
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Suspected; present participle & verbal noun Suspecting
Definitions
  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 producing 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" intransitive verb
Definitions
  1. To imagine guilt; to have a suspicion or suspicions; to be suspicious.
    If I suspect without cause, why then make sport at time. Shak.

Webster 1913