Basic Details
Word: Suggestive
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Giving a hint of something or bringing it to mind, as in suggestive of rain.
Synonyms: indicative, reminiscent
How to Spell Suggestive
Syllables: sug - ges - tive
Tricky part: Like suggest, it keeps two g's. The ending is ive, so no extra e or a goes before the v.
Watch out for: sugestive, suggestiv, suggesteve, suggestative
Memory tip: Suggest + ive. It works like active, from act: keep the whole verb and add ive.
Usage Examples
Example 1: The grey sky was suggestive of an early monsoon.
Example 2: The smell from the kitchen was suggestive of a feast.
Example 3: Its title is suggestive of a ghost story, but the book is a comedy.
Fun Fact
Doctors often call a set of symptoms suggestive of an illness, meaning the signs point to it but do not yet prove it.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word 'suggestive' as used in the sentence:
The sound of distant drums was suggestive of a wedding procession on the main road.
a) indicative
b) careless
c) doubtful
d) unlike
Show answer
a) indicative. Suggestive of means it points towards something, which is what indicative means too.
Word Makeup
Only one of these words takes the suffix ive to form a real word. Choose it:
ive
a) believe
b) suggest
c) think
d) wonder
Show answer
b) suggest. Suggest + ive gives suggestive; thinkive, believive and wonderive are not words.
Word Cookie
Find the misspelt word in the sentence:
The old painting in the museum was sugestive of a quiet village morning, with mist rising over the paddy fields and a bullock cart on the narrow road.
a) bullock
b) painting
c) sugestive
d) narrow
Show answer
c) sugestive. It is built from suggest, so it needs a second g.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A colour that is suggestive of the sea ____.
a) is never seen near the sea
b) reminds you of the sea
c) makes the sea look dark
d) is painted in the sea
Show answer
b) reminds you of the sea
2. Which noun shares the same root as suggestive?
a) suggestion
b) subject
c) segment
d) sequence
Show answer
a) suggestion
