suggestive
Americanadjective
-
that suggests; referring to other thoughts, persons, etc..
His recommendation was suggestive of his boss's thinking.
-
rich in suggestions or ideas.
a suggestive critical essay.
-
evocative; presented partially rather than in detail.
-
that suggests or implies something improper or indecent; risqué;
suggestive remarks.
adjective
-
conveying a hint (of something)
this painting is suggestive of a hot summer day
-
tending to suggest something improper or indecent
-
able or liable to suggest an idea, plan, etc
Usage
What are other ways to say suggestive? Something that is suggestive refers to other thoughts or persons. Do you know when to use suggestive over its synonyms expressive, meaningful, and significant? Find out on Thesaurus.com.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of suggestive
Explanation
The adjective suggestive is useful when one thing indicates or hints at something else. Your constant yawning, for example, is suggestive of how tired you are. Scientists and researchers often use the word suggestive to describe results that indicate a strong possibility of something without decisively proving it: "This is suggestive evidence of life on other planets." Sometimes, suggestive is used to describe something inappropriate or obscene: "Parents always think popular music's lyrics are too suggestive." This meaning came about in the late 1800's, more than two hundred years after suggestive first appeared in the language from the verb suggest.
Vocabulary lists containing suggestive
Darius the Great Is Not Okay
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
What If It's Us
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Last Night at the Telegraph Club
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
“This is one area we’re not quite confident in,” Pinkerton said as we watched the robot attempt to align a glass on the dishwasher’s prongs with motions suggestive of a claw-machine arm.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026
Variants recovered in late 2025 no longer contained the external communications systems suggestive of operator control.
From Salon ● Sep. 24, 2026
To minimize risks, the leakers “confined themselves to publishing highly suggestive posts that, in themselves, did not cross any obvious legal line.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026
Riw Rakkulchon’s ingenious set, suggestive of both a barn and a cabinet of orchestral wonders, allows “Mexodus” to function simultaneously as a suspenseful dramatic yarn and a jam session.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026
In the bottom-left-hand corner of Apian’s diagram he has drawn some mountains, suggestive of a real place, perhaps even a reference to the Alps.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
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.
