as in indicative
indicating something
his tendency to use weasel words is seen as a signifying character trait
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in meaning
to be of importance
never mind, as the color of the room doesn't signify in the least
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in denoting
to communicate or convey (as an idea) to the mind
the symbol failed to signify anything to me—until I realized that it was upside down
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in indicating
to serve as a sign or symptom of
the opening of the new mall signifies the city's overdue emergence from economic depression
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of signifying
Erika Landström, Artforum, 2 June 2026
Certainly there were luxe, strong visions of the wardrobe on the runway, but with hints of edge melded with signifying codes like the web, the interlock, the GG, the Flora, the bamboo, the bit and the Jackie.
—Emily Mercer, Footwear News, 17 May 2026
Pope Leo in December appointed Joliet Bishop Ronald Hicks as archbishop of New York, signifying a move to a more pastoral and missionary-inspired leadership in one of the largest archdiocese in the nation.
—Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 8 May 2026
At our wedding, my husband and I stood under a chuppah—a wedding canopy signifying the new home a Jewish couple will create together—that my mom crafted from a lace tablecloth her grandmother had sewn.
—Literary Hub, 6 May 2026
Though embedded in society, these young characters are Kaspar Hauser-like figures, spectrally isolated from the signifying world, forced to construct meaning for themselves, from the ground up.
—James Wood, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
The mislabeling of President Andrew Jackson’s portrait is just one of the telltale signs signifying that some bills getting passed around in Greater Boston are movie props and not legal tender.
—Flint McColgan, Boston Herald, 24 Apr. 2026
Painted pink since 1918 (signifying peace at the end of World War I), the ‘Nellie’ is Cape Town’s ‘grande dame’, and dates back to 1899.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026
In 2024, Fitzpatrick won reelection by nearly 13 percentage points, up from less than nine in his first election in 2016, signifying security in a historically swing-happy region, built through a meticulously moderate voting history.
—Zak Hudak, CBS News, 22 Apr. 2026
Verb
When presented as a wall installation, the pages are transmuted into an object signifying nothing but the imitation of writing by a depersonalized other.
—Erika Landström, Artforum, 2 June 2026
Certainly there were luxe, strong visions of the wardrobe on the runway, but with hints of edge melded with signifying codes like the web, the interlock, the GG, the Flora, the bamboo, the bit and the Jackie.
—Emily Mercer, Footwear News, 17 May 2026
Pope Leo in December appointed Joliet Bishop Ronald Hicks as archbishop of New York, signifying a move to a more pastoral and missionary-inspired leadership in one of the largest archdiocese in the nation.
—Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 8 May 2026
At our wedding, my husband and I stood under a chuppah—a wedding canopy signifying the new home a Jewish couple will create together—that my mom crafted from a lace tablecloth her grandmother had sewn.
—Literary Hub, 6 May 2026
Though embedded in society, these young characters are Kaspar Hauser-like figures, spectrally isolated from the signifying world, forced to construct meaning for themselves, from the ground up.
—James Wood, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
The mislabeling of President Andrew Jackson’s portrait is just one of the telltale signs signifying that some bills getting passed around in Greater Boston are movie props and not legal tender.
—Flint McColgan, Boston Herald, 24 Apr. 2026
Painted pink since 1918 (signifying peace at the end of World War I), the ‘Nellie’ is Cape Town’s ‘grande dame’, and dates back to 1899.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026
In 2024, Fitzpatrick won reelection by nearly 13 percentage points, up from less than nine in his first election in 2016, signifying security in a historically swing-happy region, built through a meticulously moderate voting history.
—Zak Hudak, CBS News, 22 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for signifying
Adjective
-
The tracks are indicative of hatchlings drawn to lights on the shore.—
Adam Van Brimmer,
AJC.com,
8 June 2026
-
Any prices or levels shown are either historical or purely indicative.—
Katie Stockton,
CNBC,
8 June 2026
Verb
-
To pay for it, Porter would impose a progressive corporate tax, meaning more profitable businesses and corporations would pay a higher rate.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
30 May 2026
-
Those wanting to double at State also had to contend with mile qualifying heats on Friday, meaning runners would potentially have four miles of races in 24 hours.—
Scott M. Reid,
Oc Register,
30 May 2026
Verb
-
Megaly is a medical suffix denoting an abnormal or irregular enlargement of an organ or body part.—
Scott Lafee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
2 June 2026
-
The statistical evidence supports this when looking at the standard deviation — denoting the spread of a dataset — of points after 37 games across the past seven seasons.—
Mark Carey,
New York Times,
24 May 2026
Verb
-
Current pricing is indicating virtually no chance of cuts anytime through at least 2027.—
Jeff Cox,
CNBC,
29 May 2026
-
An appeals court found that there was no evidence indicating Carroll personally secured the outside funding.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
29 May 2026
Adjective
-
One of the vehicles also had a light-up arrow, and all three workers had their yellow and orange reflective gear on.—
Adam Harrington,
CBS News,
4 June 2026
-
But the season was also a reflective one.—
Gabby Herzig,
New York Times,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
State and local governments trying to strike a balance between looking forward and securing jobs in construction while weighing constituents' concerns about energy, infrastructure, environmental and labor impacts.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
4 June 2026
-
Mitchell said families weighing private versus public schools aren’t driven by a single reason; their decisions tend to be personal and specific to each child’s needs.—
Chase Jordan
June 4,
Charlotte Observer,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
Citigroup separately raised its year-end forecast for the S&P 500 on Monday to 8,100 from 7,700, implying upside of almost 10% for the index, which has already gained more than 8% since the start of 2026.—
Chloe Taylor,
CNBC,
9 June 2026
-
Sinner’s Early Exit Sinner entered the tournament with -275 odds to win it all, implying a roughly 70% chance of his hoisting the trophy.—
Lev Akabas,
Sportico.com,
7 June 2026
Verb
-
Ask yourself what exactly stopped mattering and why, and know that there’s a difference between temporary exhaustion and genuine misalignment.—
Maggie McGrath,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
-
And so my surreal day-to-day, a regular life broken up by suspensions of my rights, stopped mattering.—
Abraham Jiménez Enoa,
The Dial,
19 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Signifying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/signifying. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
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