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:
“The people who have the power to rip children from their families believe that it’s in a child’s best interest to have a brainrot device,” these moments suggest with a wink.
From Salon ● Sep. 19, 2026
But the Dodgers suggest he’s going to be OK; Snell is slated for one last regular-season start.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026
The hack let the researchers read and suggest changes to OpenAI’s cache of software.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
Now they have worsened to the state that they are in deeply oversold territory, which might suggest a bounce may be needed before declines can resume.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 18, 2026
“I suggest we find a place to live before you go digging for gold. We can’t eat gold.”
From "Blood on the River" by Elisa Carbone
While some evidence suggests semaglutide could roughly double patients’ risk, that would still lead to very few losing vision, doctors said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 19, 2026
But “The Spiral” also suggests that, as in America, a new wave of global horror is just about to bubble over.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026
A new examination of those features suggests that they may occasionally become temporarily wet.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 17, 2026
You could also let the check sit on the table before reaching for it, Clayman suggests.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 17, 2026
As its name suggests, this spell can inflict great mental harm.
From "Amari and the Night Brothers" by B.B. Alston
Some veterans, in particular, insisted that service members knew what they’d signed up for and suggested Kelley ought to accept the conditions his son might face.
From Salon ● Sep. 19, 2026
He also suggested the BOJ could raise interest rates at consecutive meetings rather than the once-every-six-months pace it has been on, or could implement a half-percentage-point rise at one go.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
However, an intelligence report shared with AFP news agency suggested the group died because of overcrowding and poor ventilation inside the detention facility in Niger state.
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026
Earlier research has suggested that anticoagulant treatment may lower the risk of developing dementia, but far less is known about whether these drugs influence cognitive decline after Alzheimer's disease has already been diagnosed.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 18, 2026
The way he said it suggested that to cancel now would be a prudent thing to do.
From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood
Instead, they are buying their stocks — suggesting they think the stocks go higher from here, not lower.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 19, 2026
Lesser wasn’t suggesting that the changes experienced with dementia are meaningless.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
Relatively simple mechanical models reproduced important features of the pearls, suggesting that physical forces could help determine the shape without requiring a rigid internal mold.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 17, 2026
Spencer's latest allegations include him suggesting King Charles's reaction to Diana's death was to think "how this event might free him to marry the woman he loved", the Times includes.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
“Are you suggesting that Mr. Lemoncello is both a liar and a fraud?” asked the reporter.
From "Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics" by Chris Grabenstein
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.
