suss

S1U1S1S1
/sʌs/Northern England/sʊs/

adjective

Suspicious; suspect.

UncommonScrabble 4

Meanings

suss1

nounsuss (plural susses)

plural susses · alternative sus

  1. alternativeAlternative form of soss (“miry place”).

suss2

adjectivesuss (comparative more suss, superlative most suss)

comparative more suss · superlative most suss · alternative sus

  1. AustraliaNew ZealandUKUScolloquialSuspicious; suspect.

    2001, Mo Hayder, The Treatment, 2008, Bantam, UK, page 244, ‘Yes – OK, OK. Try not to struggle, Tracey. It just makes you look even more suss.’

    1 more example

    2009, Barbara Ward Smith, Dead Centre: Murder Mystery, AuthorHouse, UK, page 191, I think it was Amber Johnson dressed up said Marc, but its proving it, we don′t have much to go on according to her said Jan her friend has been driving her car, yes very convenient said Marc and it′s even more suss that this friend has gone on holiday, did she ever give us the name of this mystical friend? Asked Jan.

nounsuss (uncountable)

alternative sus

  1. UKuncountableSuspicious behaviour; the act of loitering with intent.
verbsuss (third-person singular simple present susses, present participle sussing, simple past and past participle sussed)

present singular third person susses · participle present sussing · participle past sussed · past sussed · alternative sus

  1. UKobsoletetransitiveTo arrest for suspicious behaviour.

suss3

verbsuss (third-person singular simple present susses, present participle sussing, simple past and past participle sussed)

present singular third person susses · participle present sussing · participle past sussed · past sussed · alternative sus

  1. AustraliaNew ZealandUKoftentransitiveTo discover, infer or figure out.

    2008, David Burchell, Trying to find the sunny side of life, Tony Jones, Best Australian Political Writing, page 275, It occurred to me that Matt′s mates, far from being proper objects of solicitation and sympathy, actually must feel they had life sussed.

    3 more examples

    Think we're standing for injustice / White gets two and black gets five years / Well it took me quite a while to suss this

    1993, “Emergency On Planet Earth”, performed by Jamiroquai

    This David did without the crook knowing he had been sussed out.[…]When David returned home after sussing this new crook, he made sure one or two key people were informed about his true nature, and they were all then further protected.

    2007, Alex Caldon, The Quest for Truth, page 107

    For some other guys who′ve sussed me out, it′s taken them quite some time. A certain regular of mine comes through three or four times a night, but not every night.[…]That said, this regular never sussed for a hell of a long time.

    2007, Jenny Ainslie-Turner, Jolene: A Fiery Redhead Who Loves Talking Dirty: True Life Autobiography of a 1-2-1 Chat Girl, page 43
  2. AustraliaNew ZealandUKtransitiveTo study or size up, to check out (examine).
nounsuss (uncountable)

alternative sus

  1. UKuncountableSocial nous.

    The next painter the sultan approached was a sly old dog with more suss than a Cockney two-card trickster.

    1996, Phil Healey, Rick Glanvill, Now That′s What I Call Urban Myths, page 138
    3 more examples

    ‘I′m surprised at you, Danny Weston! I thought you had a bit more suss than this. I never thought you were capable of something so ... silly.’

    1995, Philip Caveney, Skin Flicks, published 2012, unnumbered page

    ‘I always was the true fucking star of this band. They uaed to say I was the fifth member ... I′m the first fucking member. Always was and always will be a star ... that′s me. Fucking Wythenshawe taking over Washington, that′s what this is, miles more suss we have than any of these bastards.’

    1996, Mick Middles, Factory: The Story of the Record Label, published 2011, unnumbered page

    No, not cynicism, just fucking suss, David Bowie has more suss than the fucking people that are trying to put him through the mincer.

    2001, Victoria Mary Clarke, A Drink With Shane MacGowan, published 2012, unnumbered page

Suss4

proper nounSuss (plural Susses)

plural Susses

Origin

suss · adjective, noun, verb

Clipping of suspicious and/or suspect (adjective). Compare sus.

Full word history & related roots →

suss · verb, noun

From suspect; originally suss out (“to discover or figure out”).

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with suss

All rhymes →

Sounds the same

Cite this entry
APA

suss. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/suss

MLA

“suss.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/suss. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “suss,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/suss.

Source: suss on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.