Synonyms of vestige

vestige

noun

ˈve-stij 

1

as in relic

a tiny often physical indication of something lost or vanished

a few strange words carved on a tree were the only vestige of the lost colony of Roanoke

Synonyms & Similar Words

• relic
• trace
• remnant
• artifact
• echo
• shadow
• ghost
• reminder
• memento
• remembrance
• corpse
• rest
• remainder
• residual
• afterimage
• residue
• leftover
• aftertaste
• remain(s)
• hangover
• scrap
• leavings
• balance
• oddment
• dreg(s)

2

as in footstep

the mark or impression made by a foot

the fossilized vestige of a dinosaur that traversed that muddy landscape millions of years ago

Synonyms & Similar Words

• footstep
• footprint
• trace
• step
• footmark
• track
• hoofprint
• tread
• pug
• spoor

Synonym Chooser

How is the word vestige distinct from other similar nouns?

The words trace and track are common synonyms of vestige. While all three words mean "a perceptible sign made by something that has passed," vestige applies to a tangible reminder such as a fragment or remnant of what is past and gone.

boulders that are vestiges of the last ice age

When could trace be used to replace vestige?

In some situations, the words trace and vestige are roughly equivalent. However, trace may suggest any line, mark, or discernible effect.

the killer left no traces

Where would track be a reasonable alternative to vestige?

While the synonyms track and vestige are close in meaning, track implies a continuous line that can be followed.

the fossilized tracks of dinosaurs

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of vestige

Three weeks later, in a small office at the top of the Liver Building in which Everton have their headquarters, vestiges of that mischief dance across Sorensen’s face when this moment is recalled. —Megan Feringa, New York Times, 9 June 2025

If the movies are a narrowing vestige of the monoculture, then ReelShort is the app that shows what’s flourishing in its stead: a million self-selecting microcultures. —Joshua Hunt, Vulture, 5 June 2025

This was, perhaps, his last vestige of control, a trump card held against the documentarian attempting to craft his life into a narrative. —Michael Schulman, New Yorker, 23 May 2025

Orwell: 2 + 2 = 5 traces the writer’s effort to complete 1984 in the late 1940s as tuberculosis took the last vestiges of his health. —Matthew Carey, Deadline, 16 May 2025

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