signify
Americanverb (used with object)
-
signifies,
present (3rd person singular)
-
signified,
past participle, past
-
signifying
present participle
verb (used without object)
-
signifies,
present (3rd person singular)
-
signified,
past participle, past
-
signifying
present participle
verb
-
(tr) to indicate, show, or suggest
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(tr) to imply or portend
the clouds signified the coming storm
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(tr) to stand as a symbol, sign, etc (for)
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informal (intr) to be significant or important
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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signifysimple
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signifiessimple
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have signifiedperfect
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has signifiedperfect
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am signifyingprogressive
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are signifyingprogressive
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is signifyingprogressive
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have been signifyingperfect progressive
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has been signifyingperfect progressive
Past
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signifiedsimple
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had signifiedperfect
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was signifyingprogressive
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were signifyingprogressive
-
had been signifyingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of signify
First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English signifien, from Old French signifier, from Latin significāre “to make a sign, indicate, mention, denote”; equivalent to sign + -ify
Explanation
To signify means to "mean." When Paul Revere looked for the lanterns in the church tower, he knew that one would signify that the British were coming by land and two would indicate that they were coming by sea. When objects are endowed with symbolic meaning, they are said to signify things. A dove signifies peace, a six-pointed star signifies Judaism, a frog signifies fertility, a trident signifies the Hindu Shiva or the Greek Poseidon.
Vocabulary lists containing signify
Academic Vocabulary: Core Tier 2 Words, List 4
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Divergent
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Tears of a Tiger
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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:
Tens of thousands of gig drivers have signed cards in support of the union, but the union did not say whether the cards signify official membership.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026
In a phone interview from Pune, India, Mr. Bambawale said the 2020 clashes “set back the relationship 10 steps” and recent signs of a thaw “at best signify three steps forward.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026
The recent departures from Google DeepMind also signify an ideological rift between Pichai and Hassabis, according to former employees.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 15, 2026
Downing Street published a list of the nominations, external and said the King "has been graciously pleased to signify his intention of conferring peerages".
From BBC ● Jul. 16, 2026
“I am glad I think so, Pip. A little redness or a little matter of Bone, here or there, what does it signify to Me?”
From "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens
“That $10 million signifies the potential for a true comeback,” Abaunza said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2026
For Ibrahim, this correlation signifies that the source of interest in copper is its long-term potential in the AI industry.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 15, 2026
A hale and hearty speed signifies that your body’s systems—including your heart, lungs, muscles and nervous system—are working well together.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 9, 2026
The memorial also signifies Pyongyang's willingness to continue military cooperation with Russia "regardless of how the war unfolds".
From BBC ● May 7, 2026
I do not know what it signifies here, where there is no purpose of concealment nor need of diplomacy; and I am tired of it.
From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson
The title is a line from Woody Guthrie’s celebrated song “Deportees,” about the crash, and what it signified in a nation that used and used up its foreign workers, and it ends like this:
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
"So that wall of noise, for me, signified breaking out of a traditional mould, both as a human, but also musically."
From BBC ● May 2, 2026
Palantir’s Artificial Intelligence Platform signified a breakthrough, as customers realized Palantir could provide AI solutions that were effective, Luria said.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 4, 2026
In popular usage, it assumes the thing signified must be false, whereas people do conspire, and it is reasonable to devise theories about their schemes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 23, 2025
She didn’t know how late it was, but the delay signified nothing good.
From "The Underground Railroad: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead
As the national market remains stagnant, a shift is underway in many local real-estate markets, signifying a major turning point in the housing market.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 12, 2026
He wore a black turban, signifying direct descendance from the Prophet Muhammad.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026
Head of football operations Damian Vidagany held his hands on his head at the final whistle, signifying a release of pressure, before embracing Tielemans.
From BBC ● May 20, 2026
If we had, it might have come with a purposefully incomprehensible slogan, absent any sound or fury but definitely signifying nothing.
From Salon ● May 17, 2026
“Looks like you might need a costume change,” Autumn signs to me, signifying costume by taking two hands to her chest and making a brushing motion away from herself.
From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
