sug·gest
(səg-jĕst́, sə-jĕst́)
[Latin suggerere, suggest-, sub-, up; see sub–, + gerere, to carry.]
transitive verb: -gest·ed, -gest·ing, -gests.
- To offer for consideration or action; propose: suggest things for children to do; suggested that we take a walk.
- To bring or call to mind by logic or association; evoke: a cloud that suggests a mushroom; a ringlike symbol suggesting unity.
- To make evident indirectly; intimate or imply: a silence that suggested disapproval.
- To serve as or provide a motive for; prompt or demand: Such a crime suggests apt punishment.
derivatives
- sug·gest́er
- noun
synonyms:
suggest, imply, hint, intimate2insinuate These verbs mean to convey thoughts or ideas by indirection. Suggest refers to the calling of something to mind as the result of an association of ideas: “his erect and careless attitude suggesting assurance and power” (Joseph Conrad) To imply is to suggest a thought or an idea by letting it be inferred from something else, such as a statement, that is more explicit: The effusive praise the professor heaped on one of the students seemed to imply disapproval of the rest. Hint refers to an oblique or covert suggestion that often contains clues: My imagination supplied the explanation you only hinted at. Intimate applies to indirect, subtle expression that often reflects discretion, tact, or reserve: She intimated that her neighbors were having marital problems. To insinuate is to suggest something, usually something unpleasant, in a covert, sly, and underhanded manner: The columnist insinuated that the candidate raised money unethically.
