Standard Lemma guide

suggest

verb · 9 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /səˈd͡ʒɛst/
  • General-American: /sə(ɡ)ˈd͡ʒɛst/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɛst
  • CMU ARPABET: S AH0 JH EH1 S T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To imply but stop short of explicitly stating (something).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • Are you suggesting that I killed my wife?

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: point

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To cause one to suppose (something); to bring to one's mind the idea (of something).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • The name "hamburger" suggests that hamburgers originated from Hamburg.
  • , Book II, Chapter III Some ideas [...] are suggested to the mind by all the ways of sensation and reflection.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To explicitly mention (something) as a possibility for consideration, often to recommend it.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • This meeting venue was suggested to us by our boss.
  • He suggests that we celebrate with dinner at Bellissimo. He suggests our celebrating with dinner at Bellissimo.
  • The guidebook suggested that we visit the local cathedral, so that's what we did.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: venture, hazard

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

To seduce; to prompt to evil; to tempt.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

make a proposal, declare a plan for something

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the senator proposed to abolish the sales tax

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: propose, advise

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: declare

Narrower terms: recommend, urge, advocate, advance, throw out, proposition, feed back, submit, state, put forward, posit, move, make a motion

6

verb

Meaning 6

drop a hint; intimate by a hint

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: hint

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: convey

Narrower terms: intimate, adumbrate, insinuate, clue in, allude, touch, advert

7

verb

Meaning 7

suggest the necessity of an intervention; in medicine

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • Tetracycline is indicated in such cases

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: indicate

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: inform

8

verb

Meaning 8

call to mind

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • this remark evoked sadness

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: evoke, paint a picture

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: express, show, evince

Narrower terms: smack, reek, smell, incriminate, imply, inculpate

9

verb

Meaning 9

imply as a possibility

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The evidence suggests a need for more clarification

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: intimate

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: imply

Narrower terms: make out

History

Etymology

Coined based on Latin suggestus, perfect passive participle of suggerō (“bring up, bring under, lay beneath, furnish, supply, excite, advise, suggest”, verb), from sub (“from below, under”) + gerō (“bear, carry”, verb).

Across languages

Translations

146 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: наме́квам (namékvam) — to imply but stop short of saying directly
  • Catalan: insinuar — to imply but stop short of saying directly
  • Finnish: vihjailla — to imply but stop short of saying directly
  • German: behaupten — to imply but stop short of saying directly
  • Greek: υπονοώ (yponoó) — to imply but stop short of saying directly
  • Hebrew: רמז ramoz — to imply but stop short of saying directly
  • Hungarian: sugall — to imply but stop short of saying directly
  • Hungarian: sugalmaz — to imply but stop short of saying directly
  • Hungarian: céloz — to imply but stop short of saying directly
  • Korean: 추측하다 (chucheukhada) — to imply but stop short of saying directly
  • Latin: suggerō — to imply but stop short of saying directly
  • Māori: whakaaranga — to imply but stop short of saying directly
  • Norwegian Bokmål: antyde — to imply but stop short of saying directly
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: antyde — to imply but stop short of saying directly
  • Polish: sugerować — to imply but stop short of saying directly
  • Portuguese: sugerir — to imply but stop short of saying directly
  • Russian: намека́ть (namekátʹ) — to imply but stop short of saying directly
  • Russian: намекну́ть (nameknútʹ) — to imply but stop short of saying directly
  • Swedish: antyda — to imply but stop short of saying directly
  • Turkish: iddia etmek — to imply but stop short of saying directly
  • Bulgarian: внушавам (vnušavam) — to make one suppose
  • Catalan: suggerir — to make one suppose
  • Dutch: doen vermoeden — to make one suppose
  • Dutch: suggereren — to make one suppose
  • Finnish: viitata — to make one suppose
  • Finnish: antaa ymmärtää — to make one suppose
  • German: suggerieren — to make one suppose
  • Greek: υπαινίσσομαι (ypainíssomai) — to make one suppose
  • Hebrew: הציע (hitzía) — to make one suppose
  • Hungarian: sejtet — to make one suppose
  • Korean: 시사하다 (sisahada) — to make one suppose
  • Polish: sugerować — to make one suppose
  • Portuguese: sugerir — to make one suppose
  • Romanian: sugera — to make one suppose
  • Russian: намека́ть (namekátʹ) — to make one suppose
  • Russian: намекну́ть (nameknútʹ) — to make one suppose
  • Scottish Gaelic: cuir an aire — to make one suppose
  • Spanish: sugerir — to make one suppose
  • Swedish: antyda — to make one suppose
  • Turkish: tavsiye etmek — to make one suppose
  • Arabic: اِقْتَرَحَ (iqtaraḥa) — to ask for without demanding
  • Belarusian: прапанава́ць (prapanavácʹ) — to ask for without demanding
  • Belarusian: прапано́ўваць (prapanówvacʹ) — to ask for without demanding
  • Bulgarian: предлагам (predlagam) — to ask for without demanding
  • Chinese Mandarin: 建議 /建议 (jiànyì) — to ask for without demanding
  • Czech: navrhnout — to ask for without demanding
  • Dutch: voorstellen — to ask for without demanding
  • Estonian: soovitama — to ask for without demanding
  • Finnish: ehdottaa — to ask for without demanding
  • French: proposer — to ask for without demanding
  • French: suggérer — to ask for without demanding
  • German: vorschlagen — to ask for without demanding
  • Greek: προτείνω (proteíno) — to ask for without demanding
  • Hebrew: הציע (hitsía) — to ask for without demanding
  • Hungarian: javasol — to ask for without demanding
  • Hungarian: ajánl — to ask for without demanding
  • Interlingua: proponer — to ask for without demanding
  • Irish: mol — to ask for without demanding
  • Italian: proporre — to ask for without demanding
  • Italian: suggerire — to ask for without demanding
  • Japanese: 提案する (teian suru) — to ask for without demanding
  • Japanese: 勧める (susumeru) — to ask for without demanding
  • Korean: 암시하다 (amsihada) — to ask for without demanding
  • Malay: cadang — to ask for without demanding
  • Norwegian Bokmål: foreslå — to ask for without demanding
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: foreslå — to ask for without demanding
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: føreslå — to ask for without demanding
  • Polish: proponować — to ask for without demanding
  • Polish: zaproponować — to ask for without demanding
  • Portuguese: propor — to ask for without demanding
  • Portuguese: sugerir — to ask for without demanding
  • Romanian: sugera — to ask for without demanding
  • Romanian: propune — to ask for without demanding
  • Russian: предлага́ть (predlagátʹ) — to ask for without demanding
  • Russian: предложи́ть (predložítʹ) — to ask for without demanding
  • Russian: сове́товать (sovétovatʹ) — to ask for without demanding
  • Russian: посове́товать (posovétovatʹ) — to ask for without demanding
  • Northern Sami: evttohit — to ask for without demanding
  • Scottish Gaelic: cuir an aire — to ask for without demanding
  • Spanish: sugerir — to ask for without demanding
  • Swedish: föreslå — to ask for without demanding
  • Turkish: önermek — to ask for without demanding
  • Turkish: teklif etmek — to ask for without demanding
  • Ukrainian: пропонува́ти (proponuváty) — to ask for without demanding
  • Vietnamese: đề nghị — to ask for without demanding
  • Arabic: اِقْتَرَحَ (iqtaraḥa) — to recommend
  • Arabic: أَوْصَى (ʔawṣā) — to recommend
  • Belarusian: прапано́ўваць (prapanówvacʹ) — to recommend
  • Belarusian: прапанава́ць (prapanavácʹ) — to recommend
  • Bulgarian: предлага́м (predlagám) — to recommend
  • Bulgarian: предложа (predloža) — to recommend
  • Bulgarian: препоръчвам (preporǎčvam) — to recommend
  • Chinese Mandarin: 建議 /建议 (jiànyì) — to recommend
  • Chinese Mandarin: 提議 /提议 (tíyì) — to recommend
  • Czech: navrhovat — to recommend
  • Czech: navrhnout — to recommend
  • Danish: forslå — to recommend
  • Dutch: voorstellen — to recommend
  • Esperanto: sugesti — to recommend
  • Finnish: suositella — to recommend
  • Finnish: ehdottaa — to recommend
  • Finnish: esittää — to recommend
  • French: suggérer — to recommend
  • German: vorschlagen — to recommend
  • German: empfehlen — to recommend
  • Greek: συνιστώ (synistó) — to recommend
  • Hungarian: ajánl — to recommend
  • Hungarian: javasol — to recommend
  • Hungarian: tanácsol — to recommend
  • Italian: suggerire — to recommend
  • Japanese: 提案する (teian suru) — to recommend
  • Korean: 제안하다 (jeanhada) — to recommend
  • Lithuanian: siūlyti — to recommend
  • Macedonian: предлага (predlaga) — to recommend
  • Macedonian: предложи (predloži) — to recommend
  • Malay: cadang — to recommend
  • Māori: marohi — to recommend
  • Māori: mārohirohi — to recommend
  • Māori: whakaaranga — to recommend
  • Norwegian Bokmål: foreslå — to recommend
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: foreslå — to recommend
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: føreslå — to recommend
  • Polish: sugerować — to recommend
  • Polish: proponować — to recommend
  • Portuguese: sugerir — to recommend
  • Romanian: sugera — to recommend
  • Russian: предлага́ть (predlagátʹ) — to recommend
  • Russian: предложи́ть (predložítʹ) — to recommend
  • Russian: сове́товать (sovétovatʹ) — to recommend
  • Russian: посове́товать (posovétovatʹ) — to recommend
  • Northern Sami: evttohit — to recommend
  • Serbo-Croatian: предла́гати — to recommend
  • Serbo-Croatian: предло̀жити — to recommend
  • Serbo-Croatian: predlágati — to recommend
  • Serbo-Croatian: predlòžiti — to recommend
  • Slovak: navrhovať — to recommend
  • Slovak: navrhnúť — to recommend
  • Slovene: predlagati — to recommend
  • Swedish: föreslå — to recommend
  • Swedish: rekommendera — to recommend
  • Turkish: önermek — to recommend
  • Turkish: teklif etmek — to recommend
  • Ukrainian: пропонува́ти (proponuváty) — to recommend
  • Ukrainian: ра́дити (rádyty) — to recommend
  • Vietnamese: đề nghị — to recommend
  • Vietnamese: giới thiệu — to recommend
Real reading context

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