sus
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Short term for suspect/suspicious. Popularized in 2018 by players of the online video game Among Us and received mainstream usage with the game's explosion in popularity in mid-2020 amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Merriam-Webster, the term has been in use among English speakers since at least the 1960s.
Register: informalEra: 2020s
Sources & notes
Adapted from Wikipedia “Glossary of 2020s slang” (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30). US Gen Z / internet usage.
Common questions
What does “sus” mean?
Short term for suspect/suspicious. Popularized in 2018 by players of the online video game Among Us and received mainstream usage with the game's explosion in popularity in mid-2020 amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Merriam-Webster, the term has been in use among English speakers since at least the 1960s.
Is “sus” formal or informal?
sus is generally informal.