suggest
Americanverb (used with object)
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suggests,
present (3rd person singular)
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suggested,
past participle, past
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suggesting
present participle
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to mention or introduce (an idea, proposition, plan, etc.) for consideration or possible action.
The architect suggested that the building be restored.
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to propose (a person or thing) as suitable or possible for some purpose.
We suggested him for president.
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(of things) to prompt the consideration, making, doing, etc., of.
The glove suggests that she was at the scene of the crime.
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to bring before a person's mind indirectly or without plain expression.
I didn't tell him to leave, I only suggested it.
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to call (something) up in the mind through association or natural connection of ideas.
The music suggests a still night.
verb
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to put forward (a plan, idea, etc) for consideration
I suggest Smith for the post
a plan suggested itself
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to evoke (a person, thing, etc) in the mind of someone by the association of ideas
that painting suggests home to me
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to give an indirect or vague hint of
his face always suggests his peace of mind
Synonym Usage
See hint.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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suggestednessnoun
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suggesternoun
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presuggestverb (used with object)
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unsuggestedadjective
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unsuggestingadjective
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suggestinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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suggestsimple
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suggestssimple
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have suggestedperfect
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has suggestedperfect
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am suggestingprogressive
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are suggestingprogressive
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is suggestingprogressive
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have been suggestingperfect progressive
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has been suggestingperfect progressive
Past
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suggestedsimple
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had suggestedperfect
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was suggestingprogressive
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were suggestingprogressive
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had been suggestingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of suggest
First recorded in 1520–30; from Latin suggestus (past participle of suggerere “to build up, supply, hint, suggest”), equivalent to sug- sug- + ges- (past participle stem of gerere “to carry, do, display”) + -tus past participle suffix
Explanation
To suggest is to propose or hint. If you suggest going out for ice cream, nobody's going to object. If you suggest that your sister should get the frozen yogurt instead, she might think you are suggesting something about her weight. The verb suggest is also used when people speak about scientific research. Experimental results are often used to suggest whether a theory might be correct. For example, if a patient takes a new drug and starts feeling better, that will suggest the drug is working. Suggest can also mean to drop a hint. If you find a polite way to suggest that the pot roast is inedible, you don't come out and declare it directly. You wouldn't want to hurt Mom's feelings.
Vocabulary lists containing suggest
The SAT: Language of the Test, List 2
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The Language of Standardized Tests, List 1
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PARCC: Language of the Test (Grade7)
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
But Rushing’s MRI scans suggest the UCL — which is associated with Tommy John surgery — is not the issue.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 23, 2026
But in fact, there’s data to suggest it is better to jump right in.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 22, 2026
Climate projections suggest it may be affected relatively little and could even expand its range.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 22, 2026
Figures cited by the organisers suggest 41% of children aged four and under are read to frequently, down from 64% in 2012.
From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026
As we carry on toward the car, she doesn’t even suggest it, and for some reason, this just upsets me more.
From "The Sea in Winter" by Christine Day
But an email seen by ProPublica suggests that someone must have relayed the news of Kao’s donation to Collins, just like Reed promised to do in Kao’s recounting of the Corner Bakery meeting.
From Salon ● Sep. 23, 2026
Tribole suggests getting curious rather than treating any single meal as a test to pass or fail.
From Slate ● Sep. 23, 2026
Analysis of rock samples suggests the crater formed roughly 390 million years ago.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 22, 2026
The 2-year Treasury yield’s perch near 4.76% on Tuesday suggests more rate hikes look likely.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 22, 2026
“I guess we should go to the main office,” Levi suggests.
From "The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl" by Stacy McAnulty
He suggested Kao split up his donation to be “less conspicuous.”
From Salon ● Sep. 23, 2026
That places the impact around 100 million years before a major increase in cratering on Earth that researchers have suggested may be connected to collisions within the asteroid belt.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 22, 2026
Richmond Fed President Thomas Barkin suggested more interest rate hikes could be coming to tame inflation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026
For the nearly $3,000 balance on the Quicksilver card, Bacharach suggested withdrawing funds from my taxable brokerage account to pay it off and avoid interest charges.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 22, 2026
It was probably Leah who suggested, “Shall Mr. Clark now ask questions?”
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
Before a meeting of the Council next month, Infantino says he is also suggesting a consultation on "how Fifa's decision-making can be further strengthened".
From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026
Instead, they are buying their stocks — suggesting they think the stocks go higher from here, not lower.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 19, 2026
He dismissed the idea of slowing the pace of frontier AI development in concert with Anthropic, OpenAI and SpaceX, suggesting there were natural incentives for it to keep AI agents in line.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
He noticed an unusually bright patch surrounded by a dark halo, a pattern suggesting that material on the lunar surface had recently been disturbed.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 18, 2026
“I am sure Mrs. Bykovski is just suggesting the possibility of it,” Mr. Bykovski said.
From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
