What does suggestible mean?
Suggestible describes a person who is easily influenced or persuaded by other people's suggestions. Such a person may change an opinion, agree to a proposal, or act in a particular way after hearing what someone else recommends. The word is commonly used in discussions of personality, persuasion, testimony, and decision-making, especially where a person's responses might depend heavily on how a question is framed. It can carry a faintly critical implication, suggesting undue receptiveness or a lack of independent judgment, but it may also be used neutrally as a description of a psychological tendency. The related words suggestion and suggestive have the same basic root, but they differ in focus: suggestible concerns susceptibility to influence, while suggestive concerns what a remark, image, or object communicates indirectly.
adjectiveEasily influenced or persuaded by suggestions from others, especially when making decisions or forming opinions.
- Easily influenced or persuaded by suggestions from others.
"The proposal appealed to his suggestible nature, and he quickly agreed to participate."
"Children may be particularly suggestible when questioned by adults they believe are authoritative."
"Despite his initial hesitation, he was suggestible enough to accept the first explanation he heard."
Suggestible people do not merely hear suggestions; they let those suggestions steer their choices.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does suggestible come from?
Suggestible derives from the Latin suggestus, the past participle of suggerere, meaning “to bring up” or “put under,” which developed into the English sense of putting an idea into someone's mind. English suggestion and suggestive share this root. The suffix -ible was added to suggest in the 19th century to form an adjective expressing the capacity of being influenced by suggestion.
Related word forms
How suggestible is actually used
The term is generally used to describe a person's tendency to accept suggestions or be influenced by others. It can sound mildly critical, though in some contexts it describes a general psychological characteristic without moral judgment.
Easily confused with suggestible
Suggestible means easily influenced by other people's ideas, whereas suggestive means evoking ideas or feelings, often in an indirect or slightly improper way.