Spanish word

sospechar

Pronunciation

IPA/sospeˈtʃaɾ/

Meaning

  • verbsuspect

Example

Yo sospecho que ella no vendrá.

I suspect that she will not come.

Illustration for sospechar (suspect)

More examples

La policía sospecha del conductor.

The police suspect the driver.

Core concept

A thought bubble with scattered puzzle pieces above a person's head.

Common phrases

  • sospechar que ...

    suspect that ...

  • sospechar de alguien

    suspect someone

  • sospechar de algo

    suspect something

Similar words

desconfiar: Not trust someone and regard their words or actions with general suspicion.
dudar: Be uncertain about a judgment or fact and hesitate to decide.
intuir: Sense something instinctively without clear evidence, a gut impression.
suponer: Assume something provisionally without solid proof, treating it as likely.

Definition in Spanish

Sentir o imaginar que algo no cuadra o que alguien puede haber hecho algo malo, apoyándose en señales o intuición.

Word origin

Sospechar ultimately traces back to Latin suspicari 'to mistrust', a form that traveled through the Romance languages into Old Spanish as sospachar.

Usage tips

  • Because sospechar can sound accusatory when applied to someone, everyday speech often precedes it with hedges such as 'tengo la impresión de que' or 'me da la sensación de que'.

Other meanings

  • feel suspicious aboutverb
  • have a hunchverb
  • harbor suspicionsverb

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word