suspicious
suspicious
UK[səˈspɪʃəs]US[səˈspɪʃəs]
adj
Having or showing a cautious distrust of someone or something.
adj
Causing one to have the idea or impression that something is wrong or that someone is behaving wrongly.
Morpheme Breakdown
sus
spic
ious
sus
from below, up to
spic
look, see
ious
adjective-forming suffix
Etymology
The word 'suspicious' originates from the Latin verb 'suspicere', meaning 'to look up at, mistrust, or admire'. This verb itself is a compound of the prefix 'sub-' (here meaning 'secretly' or 'from below') and 'specere' (to look). The literal sense is of looking at someone from a hidden position or looking up at them with mistrust. Over time, the meaning evolved from the act of looking askance to the state of being characterized by such mistrust. The suffix '-ious' was added, following the pattern of Latin-derived adjectives, to form the English word describing a person full of suspicion or an action that arouses such a feeling.
Analysis
Structure: sus (from below, up to) + spic (look, see) + ious (adjective-forming suffix)
sus: A Latin prefix, a form of 'sub-' (under, below, up from below), implying secrecy or a looking from below.
spic: From Latin 'specere' (to look at, see), a root related to sight and observation.
ious: A Latin-derived suffix forming adjectives, meaning 'full of' or 'characterized by'.
Examples
The police were suspicious of his alibi.
She cast a suspicious glance at the unfamiliar package.
There was a suspicious lack of activity at the usually busy office.