Suspicious Of: Standard Pattern
Suspicious Of: Standard Pattern records a directly documented English construction and keeps guidance bounded to the evidenced pattern rather than inventing a broader prohibition.
Use “suspicious of” when expressing doubt, mistrust, or a belief that someone or something may be wrong or dishonest.
Key details
Choose the right form
| Meaning | Pattern | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| doubt or mistrust a person, thing, claim, or situation | suspicious of + noun / pronoun | Use the documented construction. |
| believe something may involve wrongdoing or dishonesty | suspicious of + object | Use “of” to identify what causes the suspicion. |
| something itself creates suspicion | suspicious + noun / look / behavior as adjective before a noun | Keep attributive “suspicious” distinct from the “be suspicious of” complement. |
Quick tests
Holder-of-suspicion test
Is a person or group feeling mistrust or doubt toward the following person or thing?
If yes: Use “be suspicious of + object.”
If no: If you are describing the object itself as suspicious-looking or questionable, use the adjective in that separate structure.
Caveat: The reviewed source supports the “suspicious of” meaning boundary; it does not make every use of “suspicious” a prepositional construction.
Examples
The auditor was suspicious of the unusually round totals.
“Of” identifies the thing that caused doubt or mistrust.
Residents were suspicious of the unsolicited calls.
The complement names what the residents distrusted.
She became suspicious of his explanation after checking the dates.
The pattern expresses doubt about the explanation.
Further guidance
Construction
Use “suspicious of” when expressing doubt, mistrust, or a belief that someone or something may be wrong or dishonest.
Style Boundary
The evidenced pattern is “suspicious of”; other senses and constructions of “suspicious” remain possible.
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
- SUSPICIOUS | English meaning — Cambridge Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Cambridge University Press · Direct Cambridge learner-dictionary evidence for the suspicious of construction and its meaning boundary.