suspect
Definitions
To believe that something is true or likely, especially something negative.
怀疑；猜测
To believe that someone is guilty of a crime or wrongdoing.
怀疑（某人犯罪）
A person believed to have committed a crime.
嫌疑人；嫌犯
Possibly false, suspicious, or untrustworthy.
可疑的；靠不住的
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedsus- (a form of sub-, «under, from below») + spect (look) = 'to look at from below / secretly.' Suspecting someone is glancing at them from underneath — without their seeing — and forming a private distrust. The noun «a suspect» is the target of that glance.
Root sp still carries 131 more wordsWhy It Means This
Suspect captures the social posture of secret distrust. The Latin image — looking from below — is socially loaded: a subordinate sneaking a wary glance at a master. From this came the verb (to suspect = to harbor unspoken doubt) and the noun (a suspect = a person whose conduct invites that doubt). The adjective («the package looks suspect») is what catches your sideways look. Note the stress shift: «I suspect (sus-PECT) it's a trick» vs «the police questioned the suspect (SUS-pect).»
Usage Guide
- Verb «believe»: «I suspect she's lying» — private doubt
- Verb «accuse»: «police suspect him of theft» — formal accusation
- Noun: «a prime suspect» — the person accused
- Adjective: «the data looks suspect» — questionable
- Stress: verb sus-PECT, noun SUS-pect, adjective SUS-pect (some weakening of the shift in AmE)
Example Sentences
- 1.
I suspect he's hiding something.
- 2.
The police arrested the suspect last night.
- 3.
The data is highly suspect.