suspect
verb/səˈspekt/
/səˈspekt/
not used in the progressive tensesVerb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they suspect | /səˈspekt/ /səˈspekt/ |
| he / she / it suspects | /səˈspekts/ /səˈspekts/ |
| past simple suspected | /səˈspektɪd/ /səˈspektɪd/ |
| past participle suspected | /səˈspektɪd/ /səˈspektɪd/ |
| -ing form suspecting | /səˈspektɪŋ/ /səˈspektɪŋ/ |
- [transitive, intransitive] to have an idea that something is probably true or likely to happen, especially something bad, but without having definite proof
- As I had suspected all along, he was not a real policeman.
- suspect something If you suspect a gas leak, do not strike a match or even turn on an electric light.
- Suspecting nothing, he walked right into the trap.
- I didn’t want the neighbours suspecting anything.
- suspect (that)… I began to suspect (that) they were trying to get rid of me.
- I strongly suspect (that) this whole story is fictional.
- She had no reason to suspect (that) Sylvia had not been telling the truth.
- I suspect (that) she might be lying.
- it is suspected that… It was suspected that the drugs had been brought into the country by boat.
- suspect somebody/something to be/have something She suspected him to be an impostor.
Extra ExamplesTopics Doubt, guessing and certaintyb2- He immediately suspected the worst.
- It was widely suspected that the cadets had been acting on orders.
- I would suspect that they're running short of money by now.
- It was just as she had suspected: the letters had been stolen.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- strongly
- rather
- rightly
- …
- begin to
- have reason to
- have reasons to
- …
- be widely suspected
- [transitive] to have an idea that somebody is guilty of something, without having definite proof
- suspect somebody/something of something He resigned after being suspected of theft.
- He is not suspected of any involvement in the recent attacks.
- He was wrongly suspected of the crime.
- They arrested four men suspected of links to an extremist group.
- suspect somebody/something of doing something I suspected her of damaging the equipment.
- The drug is suspected of causing over 200 deaths.
- suspect somebody/something Whom do the police suspect?
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- rightly
- wrongly
- of
- have grounds for suspecting somebody/something
- have grounds to suspect somebody/something
- have reason to suspect somebody/something
- …
- [transitive] suspect something to feel that something is not completely right, legal or honest, without having any proof; to not trust something
- I suspected her motives in offering to help.
- He dealt through a broker whose honesty he had no reason to suspect.
Word OriginMiddle English (originally as an adjective): from Latin suspectus ‘mistrusted’, past participle of suspicere, from sub- ‘from below’ + specere ‘to look’.
Check pronunciation:
suspect