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Suspense vs Suspect - What's the difference?

suspense | suspect |

As nouns the difference between suspense and suspect

is that suspense is the condition of being suspended; cessation for a time while suspect is a person who is suspected of something, in particular of committing a crime.

As adjectives the difference between suspense and suspect

is that suspense is held or lifted up; held or prevented from proceeding while suspect is viewed with suspicion; suspected.

As a verb suspect is

to imagine or suppose (something) to be true, or to exist, without proof.

suspense

Alternative forms

* (l) (obsolete)

Noun

(-)
  • The condition of being suspended; cessation for a time.
  • * Alexander Pope
  • a cool suspense from pleasure and from pain
  • the pleasurable emotion of anticipation and excitement regarding the outcome or climax of a book, film etc.
  • The unpleasant emotion of anxiety or apprehension in an uncertain situation.
  • * Denham
  • Ten days the prophet in suspense remained.
  • (legal) A temporary cessation of one's right; suspension, as when the rent or other profits of land cease by unity of possession of land and rent.
  • Derived terms

    * suspenseful

    Adjective

    (-)
  • (obsolete) Held or lifted up; held or prevented from proceeding.
  • * Milton
  • [The great light of day] suspense in heaven.
  • (obsolete) Expressing, or proceeding from, suspense or doubt.
  • * Milton
  • Expectation held his look suspense .
    ----

    suspect

    English

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To imagine or suppose (something) to be true, or to exist, without proof.
  • to suspect the presence of disease
  • * Milton
  • From her hand I could suspect no ill.
  • * {{quote-book, year=1963, author=(Margery Allingham), title=(The China Governess)
  • , chapter=5 citation , passage=Mr. Campion appeared suitably impressed and she warmed to him. He was very easy to talk to with those long clown lines in his pale face, a natural goon, born rather too early she suspected .}}
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-06-07, author=(Gary Younge)
  • , volume=188, issue=26, page=18, magazine=(The Guardian Weekly) , title= Hypocrisy lies at heart of Manning prosecution , passage=WikiLeaks did not cause these uprisings but it certainly informed them. The dispatches revealed details of corruption and kleptocracy that many Tunisians suspected , but could not prove, and would cite as they took to the streets.}}
  • To distrust or have doubts about (something or someone).
  • to suspect the truth of a story
    (Addison)
  • To believe (someone) to be guilty.
  • To have suspicion.
  • (obsolete) To look up to; to respect.
  • Synonyms

    * (imagine or suppose to be true) imagine, suppose, think * (sense) distrust, doubt * (believe to be guilty) accuse, point the finger at

    Noun

    (wikipedia suspect) (en noun)
  • A person who is suspected of something, in particular of committing a crime.
  • Round up the usual suspects.'' — ''Casablanca

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Viewed with suspicion; suspected.
  • * (rfdate) (John Milton):
  • What I can do or offer is suspect .
  • * '>citation
  • In his first book since the 2008 essay collection Natural Acts: A Sidelong View of Science and Nature , David Quammen looks at the natural world from yet another angle: the search for the next human pandemic, what epidemiologists call “the next big one.” His quest leads him around the world to study a variety of suspect zoonoses—animal-hosted pathogens that infect humans.
  • (nonstandard) Viewing with suspicion; suspecting.
  • * 2004 , Will Nickell, letter to the editor of Field & Stream , Volume CIX Number 8 (December 2004–January 2005), page 18:
  • Now I’m suspect of other advice that I read in your pages.

    Synonyms

    * (viewed with suspicion) dodgy (informal), doubtful, dubious, fishy (informal), suspicious

    Anagrams

    * English heteronyms ----