Synonyms for suspicion
Synonyms by meaning
Noun
1. Mistrust
mistrust, distrust, misgiving, apprehension, doubt, jealousy, diffidence, unbelief
Other
supposition, suggestion, guess, umbrage, sniff, suspiciousness
Definitions
- n. 1
The act of suspecting something or someone, especially of something wrong.
- n. 2
The condition of being suspected.
Related words
- Word family
- suspect suspicious
Forms
- Plural
- suspicions → mistrusts, distrusts, misgivings, apprehensions…
Choose the right word
Distrust and suspicion apply especially to the motives, character, etc., of others, and are more decidedly adverse than doubt.
J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)
Example sentences
- distrust True love knows neither suspicion nor distrust.
- apprehension He detected in her voice a note of apprehension.
- mistrust There was a lot of mistrust between Sami and Layla.
- misgiving Tom's misgiving has come true.
- hunch Tom had a hunch that Mary was seeing someone else.
- surmise "What do you think of my theory?" "It is all surmise."
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| suspicion | rising | |
| distrust | steady | |
| apprehension | steady | |
| mistrust | rising | |
| misgiving | steady | |
| hunch | rising |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 4 letters
- hint1
- 5 letters
- guess1, doubt1, sniff1, hunch1
- 7 letters
- inkling2, surmise2, umbrage2
- 8 letters
- jealousy3, distrust2, mistrust2, unbelief
- 9 letters
- intuition4, misgiving3
- 10 letters
- suggestion3, diffidence
- 11 letters
- supposition4
- 12 letters
- apprehension4
- 14 letters
- suspiciousness
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (inkling2 = 2 syllables).