different between wuss vs suss

English

Etymology

Probably a blend of wimp +? puss. Compare later wussy.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /w?s/

Noun

wuss (plural wusses)

1. (slang) A weak, ineffectual, cowardly, or timid person.
   • 1976, Univ. N. Carolina, Chapel Hill, Campus Slang typescript

     Nov. 6 Come on you wuss, hit a basket..! John's a wuss.

   • 1995, Rob Huizenga, You're Okay, It's Just a Bruise Page 120

     ...if you got a reputation as a wuss around the league, nobody else would ever even trade for you, or pick you up if you got cut.

   • 2003, Andrea P. Roberts, Uncovered: 20 Hints for Men from a Bisexual Woman Page 7

     And finally, don't be a wuss. Have a rich-man's attitude. Men who have money are generally confident and assertive.

   • 2003, Marc J. Soares, 100 Hikes in Yosemite National Park Page 21

     ...stop, study the map, and wait for the others. It's better to be a wuss than a stud.

Synonyms

• (weak, ineffectual, cowardly, or timid person): pansy, pushover, weakling, wimp, puss, pussy; see also Thesaurus:milksop or Thesaurus:coward

Derived terms

• wuss out

Translations

Verb

wuss (third-person singular simple present wusses, present participle wussing, simple past and past participle wussed)

1. Only used in wuss out

Catawba

Noun

wuss

1. Alternative spelling of wus

Scots

Alternative forms

• wis, wiss, woss, vouss

Etymology

From Middle English wus, wose (“juice, sap”), from Old English w?s (“moisture, exuded liquid, juice”), from Proto-Germanic *w?s? (“juice, moisture”), from Proto-Indo-European *wes- (“fat, moisture”). Cognate with Danish os (“vine sap”), West Frisian weaze (“slime, mud”), Dutch waas (“marshy land, vapor, mist, film”). More at English ooze.

Noun

wuss (plural wusses)

1. juice
2. The liquid obtained from boiling or squeezing fruit or vegetable substances

English

Alternative forms

• sus

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /s?s/
• Rhymes: -?s
• Homophone: sus

Etymology 1

Noun

suss (plural susses)

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

Etymology 2

Clipping of suspicious.

Adjective

suss (comparative more suss, superlative most suss)

1. (Britain, Australia, New Zealand, US, colloquial) Suspicious.
   • 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.’

   • 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.

Noun

suss (uncountable)

1. (Britain) Suspicious behaviour; the act of loitering with intent.

Related terms

• suss law

Verb

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

1. (transitive, Britain, obsolete) To arrest for suspicious behaviour.

Etymology 3

From suspect; originally suss out (“to investigate”).

Verb

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

1. (transitive, Britain, Australia, New Zealand, often with "out") To discover, infer or figure out.
   • 2007, Alex Caldon, The Quest for Truth, page 107,

     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, Jenny Ainslie-Turner, Jolene: A Fiery Redhead Who Loves Talking Dirty: True Life Autobiography of a 1-2-1 Chat Girl, page 43,

     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.

   • 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.

2. (transitive, Britain, Australia, New Zealand) To study or size up, to check out (examine).

Derived terms

• suss out

Related terms

• sussed (adjective)

Noun

suss (uncountable)

1. (Britain) Social nous.
   • 1995, Philip Caveney, Skin Flicks, 2012, unnumbered page,

     ‘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.’

   • 1996, Phil Healey, Rick Glanvill, Now That?s What I Call Urban Myths, page 138,

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

   • 1996, Mick Middles, Factory: The Story of the Record Label, 2011, 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.’

   • 2001, Victoria Mary Clarke, A Drink With Shane MacGowan, 2012, 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.

Anagrams

• USSS