verb / noun / adjective
suspect
suh-SPEKT/səˈspekt/
To regard a possibility as true without firm proof.
The detective suspects the person whose shoes match the muddy footprints.
Etymology
The components originally describe looking up at something, but the route to mistrust seems to involve looking secretly or askance. From imagining someone guilty on little evidence, the verb broadened to imagining anything possible or likely.
In context
If you suspect you're earning less than you should,
There were a few people in the community who did suspect that there might be this dark energy
More examples
- The mechanic suspects a loose wire is causing the problem.
- Police questioned a suspect but made no arrest.
- These numbers look suspect, so let's check them again.
Forms
suspect · suspects · suspected · suspecting
suspicion noun — A belief held without firm proof.
suspicious adjective — Causing or showing doubt or mistrust.