疑惑

ぎわく · giwaku · JLPT N1 · noun

doubt

疑 = doubt + 惑 = confusion: 疑惑 stacks doubt on top of puzzlement

Both characters carry a sense of uncertainty, so the compound intensifies it into misgivings or suspicion. The same 惑 appears in 迷惑 (to bewilder or mislead).

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