What does "sus" mean? (The slang word that outlived the game)

Your grandson looks at the casserole, looks at you, and says “that’s kinda sus.” He has not, as far as you can tell, called anything a word before. Here’s what he said.

The short answer

“Sus” means suspicious, shady, or not quite right. A sus text is one that doesn’t add up. A sus person is one you don’t trust. A sus casserole has an ingredient he can’t identify. It’s short for “suspicious” or “suspect,” and it’s used both seriously and as a joke.

You already have the word: fishy. “Sus” is “fishy” for people under 30.

Where it comes from

“Sus” is older than it looks. “Suss” as shorthand for suspicion has been British slang for decades, and “sus” as an adjective has been in Black American English since at least the early 2000s. It was a niche word until 2020, when a video game called Among Us exploded during the pandemic.

In Among Us, a group of crewmates on a spaceship tries to figure out which of them is a secret impostor. Players type accusations in a chat, and “sus” was the fastest way to say I think it’s you. Tens of millions of people, many of them kids, spent 2020 typing “red is sus” at each other. The word escaped the game and never went back.

Six years later, “sus” is one of the few pandemic-era slang terms still in everyday use. It’s also been in Merriam-Webster since 2022.

How it’s actually used

1. About behavior. “He’s been acting sus” means something’s off with him.
2. About a message. “That text is sus” means I don’t believe it or that looks like a scam. This is a useful one: if a grandkid calls a message sus, they’re probably right, and you should check it before clicking anything.
3. As a joke. “Sus” as a one-word reply to something slightly odd. The casserole falls here.
4. About a coincidence. “You just happened to be at the bakery? Sus.” Playful accusation.

In text, it travels with 🤨, 👀, or the little bean-shaped Among Us character if their keyboard has it.

Is it an insult?

Mild at most. Calling someone sus is an accusation, but it’s usually a playful one, in the spirit of “Mm-hmm, sure you did.” It’s not a slur, and it has no hidden meaning. Of all the words on these lists, it’s one of the safest.

The one wrinkle: in some online spaces, “sus” has been used to imply someone is secretly gay, as a joke. That use is dated and widely considered tired. Among kids today, it almost always just means suspicious.

Should you use it?

Yes. “Sus” is short, clear, and six years old, which means nobody will think you’re trying too hard. “That email from the bank looks sus” is a sentence a grandkid will be relieved to hear from you. “You’re being a little sus” when a grandkid is clearly up to something is a classic grandparent move translated into their language.

If a text with “sus” in it arrives and you can’t tell whether you’re being teased or warned, the Generational Translator will sort it out. Then go check on the casserole.