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suggest Definition

sug·gest (səg jest′; also, & Brit usually, sə jest′)

transitive verb

  1. to mention as something to think over, act on, etc.; bring to the mind for consideration
  2. to bring or call to mind through association of ideas objects suggested by the shapes of clouds
  3. to propose as a possibility to suggest a course of study
  4. to show indirectly; imply; intimate a silence that suggested agreement
  5. to serve as a motive for; prompt a success that suggested further attempts

Etymology: < L suggestus, pp. of suggerere, to carry or lay under, furnish < sub-, sub- + gerere, to carry

suggest Related Forms
sug·gest′er noun
suggest Synonyms

suggest

v.

  1. To make a suggestion

    submit, advise, recommend; see propose 1.

  2. To bring to mind

    hint, imply, infer, intimate, insinuate; see also hint.

suggest implies a putting of something into the mind either intentionally, as by way of a proposal I suggest you leave now, or unintentionally, as through association of ideas the smell of ether suggests a hospital; imply stresses a putting into the mind of something inherent in a word, remark, action, or situation, but not openly expressed, and suggests the need for inference the answer implied a refusal, her novels imply a belief that good triumphs over evil; hint connotes faint or indirect suggestion that is, however, intended to be understood he hinted that he would come; intimate suggests a making known obliquely by a very slight hint she only dared to intimate her feelings; insinuate implies the subtle hinting of something disagreeable or of that which one lacks the courage to say outright are you insinuating that I am dishonest?

suggest Usage Examples

Object

  • amendment: The Chairman said that draft B also contained amendments suggested by the Home Office's Freedom of Information Unit.
  • improvement: Can you suggest any improvements to how we can support artists better?
  • way: With this information FRS will be in a better position to suggest positive ways for the future recovery of the stock.
  • solution: The Clerk reported that SCC would be reviewing the traffic problems in this area and suggesting solutions to them.
  • alternative: Information: Q Can you suggest a natural alternative to stripping varicose veins?
  • topic: This will include open discussions, moderated by editors, with topics suggested by users and virtual letter pages for the journals.

Used with why or when

  • that: Chancellor Gordon Brown's April 2000 budget suggests that may be changing.
  • which: The later section on Problems suggests which methods may be most appropriate in common situations.
  • where: Send photos with the article or suggest where we could get some.
  • what: Can anybody suggest what I might want to try next?

Present participle complement

  • try: He suggested trying some injector cleaner which I did to no improvement, and was able to offer no further advice.
  • ask: Mike suggests asking Brookfield to take some of their surplus milk for their calves.

Modifying Another Word

  • strongly: Whilst each course is free-standing we strongly suggest you attend the IT Service Support course first.
  • otherwise: Memory suggested we'd cracked the story, the archive suggests otherwise.

Preposition: that

  • majority: Reports suggest that the majority of new Dubai properties are being acquired for speculative purposes, with only small deposits put down.
  • approach: In short we suggest that a more holistic approach to the evaluation of these packages is needed.
  • government: It has been suggested that the government would not expect one to exceed 5,000 people, and by implication most would be smaller.
  • notion: And I suggested that these notions may be less than clear and obvious, when we begin to examine them.
  • combination: They suggested that the combination of FK 506 with cyclosporin may prove more useful.
  • patient: The conclude that this study suggests that few patients take medications as prescribed and that self-report substantially underestimates medication noncompliance.