1
general::
seeming to be dishonest
suspicious
if someone or something seems suspicious, they make you think that something dishonest or illegal is happening:
• The police are treating the boy’s death as suspicious.
dubious
if something seems dubious, you think it may not be completely true, right, or honest:
• He has a rather dubious reputation. • It all sounds highly dubious to me. • the country’s dubious record on human rights
shady
shady business deals or people seem to be dishonest or connected with secret and illegal activities:
• Several senior members of the party had been involved in shady deals. • a shady character
shifty
someone who looks shifty looks as if they are doing or planning something dishonest:
• The man on the market stall looked a bit shifty when he gave me my change.
dodgy
British English informal probably dishonest and not to be trusted – used especially to say that you do not want to be involved with someone or something:
• There’s something a bit dodgy about him. • dodgy business deals
Longman-Thesaurus
2
general::
adj. not trusting sb VERBS be, feel, look, seem, sound | become, get, grow I think they're starting to get suspicious. | remain | make sb Something about her smile made him suspicious. ADV. deeply, extremely, highly, profoundly, very She remained deeply suspicious of computers. | increasingly | a bit, a little, rather, slightly, somewhat His voice grew faintly suspicious. | immediately, instantly | naturally I have a naturally suspicious mind. | rightly British voters are rightly suspicious of attempts to save money in the area of education. PREP. about They were somewhat suspicious about her past. | of She was highly suspicious of his motives. making you feel that sth is wrong VERBS be, look, seem, sound We have to carry on as usual or it would look suspicious. | consider sth, find sth, regard sth as, treat sth as I find it very suspicious that he left halfway through the morning. Police are treating both fires as suspicious. ADV. highly, very acting in a highly suspicious manner | not remotely Are you sure you haven't seen anything even remotely suspicious? | a bit, rather, somewhat PHRASES see/hear anything suspicious Inform the police immediately if you see anything suspicious.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary