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# suggestive

adjective (suggestive, more suggestive, most suggestive)

«suggestive» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. If something is suggestive of something else, it makes you think of it or hints at it: «clouds suggestive of rain». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/suggestive/#m1)
2. Suggestive can mean giving a clue or sign that something may be true: «The muddy boots were suggestive». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/suggestive/#m2)
3. (rude, adult slang) a rude word grown-ups use; not for school. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/suggestive/#m3)

### In the lessons

In reading and science, «suggestive» is a careful word for evidence that hints at something without proving it: «The results are suggestive but not certain». In art and stories, a suggestive picture or sound brings an idea to mind. Phrases: «suggestive of», «highly suggestive».

### Examples

- The dark clouds were suggestive of a storm. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/suggestive/#x1)
- The music was suggestive of the sea. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/suggestive/#x2)
- The footprints were suggestive, but they did not prove who took the cake. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/suggestive/#x3)
- The smell was suggestive of fresh bread. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/suggestive/#x4)
- The detective found several suggestive clues. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/suggestive/#x5)
- The early results are suggestive, so the scientists will test more. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/suggestive/#x6)

### Note

Usually used with «of»: «suggestive of something». Related: «suggest», «suggestion». In science, «suggestive» means «hints at», not «proves».

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «suggestive» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/suggestive/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«suggestive» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/suggestive.html) on Mova free.