"Doubt" vs. "suspect" [closed]

I have never used doubt or suspect properly before. Now I understand that they seem to bear quite the opposite meanings in a sentence.

For example,

Everybody believes him, but I suspect he is lying

means

I doubt he is telling the truth.

Such pairs of words can be really challenging for non-native speakers to distinguish. What's worse, misuses of them could result in communication disasters.

Why is this pair of words so confusing? Are there any more example pairs of this nature?

Solution 1:

As others point out, you suspect what you believe, but you doubt what you disbelieve. I think OP's problem revolves around the fact that...

I'm innocent, man! You can't suspect me!

...and...

I'm innocent, man! You can't doubt me!

...mean exactly the same. That's because the above suspect/doubt distinction applies to facts we think are true or false. But idiomatically we suspect a person when we believe his guilt, but we doubt that person when we disbelieve his innocence.

Solution 2:

If you're having trouble distinguishing them, just try to remember that suspect is "positive" and doubt is negative. Like this:

I suspect he was sleeping with my sister.

= I think he was sleeping with my sister.

On the other hand:

I doubt he was sleeping with my sister.

= I think he was not sleeping with my sister.

I really don't think there's anything more to it. Of course it's good to know when to use which, but it can't be explained by a few rules. Just listen to English speakers and try to pick up which word suits what situation.

Solution 3:

Not a little vs. Not a bit. Maybe.

Solution 4:

I suspect this is one of those language rules that requires a bit of practice; in fact I doubt there is any more effective way of learning it. What is common to both terms in that sentence is that I was stating a subjective opinion or belief about something. In the affirmative, I believe this will require practice and in the negative, I do not believe there is a good alternative to practice. When I suspect something, I have a suspicion about it - a belief. When I doubt something I have a sense it is not to be believed.

FumbleFingers example of "Don't suspect me" and "Don't doubt me" is brilliant and it illustrates why these "opposites" can be confusing. Suspect has a more complex use than doubt. The word suspect is a verb, a noun and an adjective - and in it's most common use it indicates something negative. A "Suspect" is a person suspected of committing a crime. We find someone's intentions to be "suspect". To say we suspect something is true shouldn't automatically indicate a negative tone, but it's related word "suspicious" almost always implies something negative - and that's not always the case. For instance, I could say, "I suspect you are smarter than you think", or "I have a suspicion you're going to be surprised by how high you score". Neither are negative beliefs. That said, I could just as easily say I had a "sneaking suspicion" you'll score higher than you think. That's sort of like a secret belief but there's a sinister tone to it.
The word Doubt is far more straightforward.