suspected
suspected — adjective
- suspectedpositive
- more suspectedcomparative
- most suspectedsuperlative
1. indicates that something is thought to be real, true, or present, even though it
indicates that something is thought to be real, true, or present, even though it has not been proved.
The police found a <hw>suspected</hw> bomb inside the abandoned van near the school playground.
suspected bomb — common news collocation for a possibly dangerous object
Doctors are monitoring twelve <hw>suspected</hw> cases of measles in the northern districts of the city.
A <hw>suspected</hw> gas leak forced the evacuation of three apartment buildings in central Kaohsiung.
The company is under investigation for <hw>suspected</hw> fraud involving payments to foreign officials.
Soraya was treated in hospital for a <hw>suspected</hw> heart attack, but tests later showed nothing serious.
文法句型
suspected + [thing/case/cause/illness]
用法筆記
Often used in news reports, medical contexts, and legal announcements to report something that has not yet been proven or confirmed. The noun that follows is typically something negative (a crime, disease, dangerous object, or problem).
常見錯誤
2. describes a person whom the police or other officials believe may have broken th
describes a person whom the police or other officials believe may have broken the law, before any trial has taken place.
The three <hw>suspected</hw> thieves were arrested outside the electronics shop late on Tuesday night.
suspected thieves — person + suspected for crime implication
Police are questioning two <hw>suspected</hw> members of a drug trafficking group that operates across the border.
The <hw>suspected</hw> hacker was traced to an apartment in Taipei after more than a year of investigation.
Border guards stopped a vehicle carrying four <hw>suspected</hw> smugglers near the northern checkpoint.
The <hw>suspected</hw> spy was held in detention for six weeks before being released without charge.
- alleged
more formal; implies an accusation has been made but not tested in court
- accused
stronger; means formal charges have been brought
- suspicious
describes behaviour, not a person charged or implicated
文法句型
suspected + [person: thief/killer/spy]
suspected of [crime]
用法筆記
Only describes people, not objects or events. The crime or wrongdoing is usually stated explicitly or clearly understood from context. In formal legal writing, 'suspected' often pairs with a crime label: suspected murderer, suspected arsonist, suspected spy.
常見錯誤
suspected — noun
1. a person who the police or other authorities think may be guilty of a crime, esp
a person who the police or other authorities think may be guilty of a crime, especially before formal charges have been made.
All three <hw>suspected</hw> were released after the forensic evidence failed to match their DNA.
the suspected — noun use, formal/legal register
The <hw>suspected</hw> was kept in a holding cell overnight while detectives reviewed the case files.
Lawyers for the two <hw>suspected</hw> argued that the search of their clients' homes had been illegal.
Each <hw>suspected</hw> was given the opportunity to call a lawyer before answering any questions.
文法句型
the suspected
several suspected
用法筆記
This noun form is less common than 'suspect' in everyday English. It appears mainly in formal legal writing or police reports. In casual conversation or news headlines, 'suspect' is preferred.
常見錯誤
suspected — verb
- suspectedpresent simple I / you / we / they
- suspecteds3rd person singular
- suspecteding-ing form
- suspectededpast simple
1. to think that someone has done something wrong or illegal, often based on feelin
to think that someone has done something wrong or illegal, often based on feelings or weak evidence rather than clear proof.
The teacher <hw>suspected</hw> Caio of cheating when she noticed his answers matched another student's paper exactly.
suspected [person] of [wrongdoing]
Vikram was <hw>suspected</hw> of stealing office supplies, but security cameras later showed someone else had taken them.
passive: be suspected of [crime]
The police <hw>suspected</hw> the accountant of hiding company money in overseas bank accounts.
Neighbours <hw>suspected</hw> the couple of running an illegal business from their garage late at night.
- trust
the opposite — to believe someone is honest and not guilty
文法句型
suspect [person] of [crime/wrongdoing]
be suspected of [crime]
用法筆記
Often followed by 'of' and a noun or gerund (suspected him of theft / suspected her of lying). The passive form ('was suspected of') is very common in news reports and legal contexts.
常見錯誤
2. to feel that something is not honest, true, or reliable, and to have doubts abou
to feel that something is not honest, true, or reliable, and to have doubts about it.
Many voters <hw>suspected</hw> the politician's promises were just empty words designed to win their votes.
suspected [something] was [untrue]
Eliska <hw>suspected</hw> the email was a scam because the sender asked for her bank account number.
The committee <hw>suspected</hw> the company's financial report had been altered to hide losses.
Sivan <hw>suspected</hw> her neighbour's friendly behaviour because it seemed too sudden after years of silence.
文法句型
suspect [something]
用法筆記
This sense focuses on doubting the truth or reliability of something, rather than thinking someone is guilty of a crime. The object is usually an abstract thing (promises, motives, news, reports) rather than a person.
常見錯誤
3. to think that something is probably true or likely to exist, without having comp
to think that something is probably true or likely to exist, without having complete proof or certainty.
Doctors <hw>suspected</hw> that Selim had a rare lung infection, so they ordered more tests immediately.
suspected + that-clause for a probable diagnosis
Jenna <hw>suspected</hw> her phone had been stolen when she could not find it in any of her bags.
Archaeologists <hw>suspected</hw> the burial site to be over three thousand years old from the pottery found nearby.
Sora <hw>suspected</hw> that someone had been reading his diary because the bookmark was in a different place.
The scientists <hw>suspected</hw> the water contained harmful bacteria and warned residents not to drink from the tap.
文法句型
suspect (that) [clause]
suspect [something] to be [adjective]
用法筆記
Unlike sense 1 (BELIEVE GUILTY), this sense does NOT imply wrongdoing — it is simply about thinking something is likely. The 'that' can be omitted in informal contexts (e.g. 'I suspected he was lying'). The passive pattern 'be suspected to be' is common in academic and medical writing.