What does suggestiveness mean?
Suggestiveness is the quality of hinting at a meaning rather than stating it directly. In contemporary usage, the word most often describes language, behavior, images, or artistic works that imply sexual or otherwise inappropriate ideas, usually with a mildly critical or disapproving tone. It can also have a more neutral literary meaning: a poem, portrait, or piece of music may possess suggestiveness because it allows the audience to infer ideas and emotions. The word therefore emphasizes implication and ambiguity, distinguishing it from explicitness. Whether regarded as a source of charm, wit, or mystery, or as a means of evading direct expression, suggestiveness is common in discussions of advertising, performance, art, and communication.
nounThe quality of being suggestive, especially of implying sexual or otherwise inappropriate ideas. It can also refer to the capacity to suggest a thought or course of action.
- The quality of being suggestive, especially of implying sexual or otherwise inappropriate ideas.
- The ability to suggest a thought, possibility, or course of action.
- The use or effect of hints, allusions, or indirect references to convey a meaning.
"The deliberate suggestiveness of the advertisement attracted attention but also prompted complaints."
"There was a suggestiveness in her smile that made the room suddenly feel more intimate."
"The poem's suggestiveness allows readers to draw conclusions without the author stating them explicitly."
Rarely used in the plural.
"The film was praised for the suggestivenesses of its dialogue."
Suggestiveness relies on saying less than you mean: its power comes from implication, ambiguity, and what the audience supplies for itself.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does suggestiveness come from?
The word is formed from the English verb suggest, which comes from Latin suggestus, the past participle of suggerere, meaning 'to put under' or 'to bring to mind.' The suffix -ness forms a noun indicating a quality or state. Related English forms include suggestion, suggestive, and suggestible, all reflecting the same Latin root.
How suggestiveness is actually used
Most commonly used for a quality that hints at sex, impropriety, or concealed meaning. It can be neutral or approving when referring to artistic, literary, or rhetorical subtlety, but often carries a critical or disapproving connotation when describing sexual innuendo.
Easily confused with suggestiveness
Suggestiveness is the quality of making a suggestive impression or implication, whereas suggestibility is the tendency to be easily influenced or persuaded.