Suit — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun verb /ˈsüt/

Meaning & Definition of Suit

Suit (noun)

  1. a set of garments
  2. an ensemble of two or more usually matching outer garments (such as a jacket, vest, and trousers)
  3. a costume to be worn for a special purpose or under particular conditions

Suit (verb)

  1. to meet the needs or desires of, please
  2. to be proper for, befit
  3. to be becoming to

Suit (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a court case for enforcing a right or claim

    "filed a suit against the company that had manufactured the faulty heater, claiming they were responsible for the fire"

    similar: action, lawsuit, proceeding
    related: litigation, case, cause, complaint, counterclaim, countersuit, cross action, cross-claim

  2. an earnest request

    "O Lord of Heaven, hear our humble suit"

    similar: adjuration, appeal, conjuration, cry, desire, entreaty, petition, plea, pleading, prayer, solicitation, suppliance, supplication
    related: application, requisition, call, claim, demand, insistence

  3. the series of social engagements shared by a couple looking to get married

    "a rather old-fashioned fellow, he first sought the consent of the girl's father for the suit"

    similar: courting, courtship, dating, lovemaking
    related: wooing, affair, love affair, romance, betrothal, engagement

Suit (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to be fitting or proper

    "no, a second-floor room won't suit if there's no elevator, since one of us has a disability"

    similar: befit, beseem (archaic), do, fit (archaic), go, serve, fill the bill
    related: satisfy, suffice, function, work

  2. to give satisfaction to

    "the location of our hotel suited us just fine"

    similar: agree (with), content, delight, feast, gas (slang), glad (archaic), gladden, gratify, please, pleasure, rejoice, satisfy, warm
    related: appease, mollify, pacify, placate, soothe, assuage, quench, sate, satiate, excite, tickle, titillate, amuse, divert, entertain, treat, captivate, charm, galvanize, thrill, calm, comfort, cater (to), humor, indulge, coddle, mollycoddle, pamper, spoil
    opposite: displease
    near: aggravate, annoy, bother, bug, chafe, cross, exasperate, gall, get, grate, irk, irritate, nettle, peeve, perturb, pique, put out, ruffle, vex, anger, enrage, incense, inflame, infuriate, madden, outrage, rankle, rile, roil, steam up, provoke, rouse, agitate, distress, disturb, fret, upset, harass, harry, pester, affront, insult, offend

  3. to outfit with clothes and especially fine or special clothes

    "went to the party suited in a strange getup that he'd picked out himself"

    similar: apparel, array, attire, bedeck, caparison, clothe, costume, deck (out), do up, dress, dress up, enrobe, garb, garment, get up, gown, habit, invest, rig (out), robe, tog (up or out), toilet, vesture
    related: cloak, frock, jacket, mantle, vest, drape, enswathe, hap (dialect), huddle, swaddle, swathe, wrap, accoutre, bedight (archaic), equip, furnish, habilitate, outfit, tailor, uniform, dress down, underdress
    opposite: disarray, disrobe, strip, unclothe, undress, untruss (archaic)
    near: denude, divest, uncover, undrape, unveil

  4. to change (something) so as to make it suitable for a new use or situation

    "a bohemian by nature, she would have to suit her behavior to the corporate culture"

    similar: acclimate, acclimatize, accommodate, adapt, adjust, condition, conform, doctor, edit, fashion, fit, put, shape, tailor
    related: readapt, readjust, customize, gear, match, model, pattern, attune, correct, harmonize, square, tune, establish, root, settle, acquaint, familiarize, orient, orientate, equip, prepare, prime, rehearse, harden, inure, season, toughen, alter, convert, make over, modify, recast, reclaim, recycle, redesign, redevelop, redo, reengineer, refashion, refigure, refit, refocus, reinvent, rejigger, remake, remodel, revamp, revise, rework, transform, accustom, habilitate, habituate, naturalize, ready, train, bend, fiddle (with), fine-tune, phase, register, regulate, rig
    near: misadjust

Related Entry: Birthday suit (noun)

Birthday suit is a different word from Suit. The synonyms below are for birthday suit, not for suit.

  1. the state of having no clothes on one's body

    "with all of the resort guests in their birthday suits, socioeconomic differences became invisible and irrelevant"

    similar: altogether, bareness, bottomlessness, buff, nakedness, nude, nudity, raw
    related: toplessness, naturism, nudism

Related Entry: Long suit (noun)

Long suit is a different word from Suit. The synonyms below are for long suit, not for suit.

  1. something for which a person shows a special talent

    "one-on-one politicking is her long suit"

    similar: forte, métier, speciality, specialty, strong suit, thing
    related: area, arena, bailiwick, business, circle, demesne, department, discipline, domain, fief, fiefdom, field, line, precinct, province, realm, sphere, terrain, element, aptitude, aptness, bent, faculty, flair, genius, gift, knack, talent, pursuit, racket, vocation, inclination, leaning, partiality, penchant, predilection, predisposition, proclivity, propensity, tendency

Related Entry: Strong suit (noun)

Strong suit is a different word from Suit. The synonyms below are for strong suit, not for suit.

  1. something for which a person shows a special talent

    "languages are definitely the diplomat's strong suit"

    similar: forte, long suit, métier, speciality, specialty, thing
    related: area, arena, bailiwick, business, circle, demesne, department, discipline, domain, fief, fiefdom, field, line, precinct, province, realm, sphere, terrain, element, aptitude, aptness, bent, faculty, flair, genius, gift, knack, talent, pursuit, racket, vocation, inclination, leaning, partiality, penchant, predilection, predisposition, proclivity, propensity, tendency

Related Entry: Pants suit (noun)

Pants suit is a different word from Suit. The synonyms below are for pants suit, not for suit.

  1. as in pantsuit

    similar: pantsuit, hose, legging, sweatpants, bloomers, knee breeches, knickerbockers, baggies, bell-bottoms, blue jeans, cargo pants, cords, corduroys, denims, jeans, breech, britches, pantaloons, pants, slacks, trousers

Related Entry: Union suit (noun)

Union suit is a different word from Suit. The synonyms below are for union suit, not for suit.

  1. as in pants, boxer shorts

    similar: boxers, boxer shorts, briefs, drawers, long johns, pants, shorts, underdrawers, underpants, undershirt, undershorts, slip, underskirt, nightdress, nightgown, nightshirt, pajamas, pj's, panties, scanties, lingerie, underclothes, underclothing, undergarments, underwear, undies, unmentionables
    opposite: outerwear

Related Entry: Follow (verb)

Follow is a different word from Suit. The synonyms below are for follow, not for suit.

  1. to come after in time

    "a wrap-up always follows the Super Bowl broadcast"

    similar: postdate, succeed, supervene
    related: displace, replace, supersede, supplant, ensue
    opposite: antedate, precede, predate

  2. to go after or on the track of

    "let's follow the boys to their hiding place"

    similar: bird-dog, chase, course, dog, hound, pursue, run, shadow, tag, tail, trace, track, trail, run after
    related: accompany, chaperone, escort, hunt, search (for), seek, eye, observe, watch
    opposite: guide, lead, pilot
    near: head

  3. to act according to the commands of

    "follow me, and you'll do OK"

    similar: adhere (to), comply (with), conform (to), goose-step (to), mind, obey, observe, abide by, fall in with, keep to
    related: defer (to), submit (to), surrender (to), yield (to), accede (to), acquiesce (to), agree (to), assent (to), attend, hear, heed, listen (to), mark, note, notice, regard, take, watch
    opposite: defy, disobey, rebel (against)
    near: disoblige, challenge, dare, refuse, renounce, repudiate, direct, lead, brush (off), disregard, ignore, overlook, overpass, pass over, tune out, wink (at), dismiss, pooh-pooh, shrug off, breach, break, infringe, transgress, violate, deride, flout, mock, scoff (at), scorn, mutiny (against), revolt (against), buck, combat, contest, dispute, fight, oppose, resist, withstand

  4. to make one's way through, across, or over

    "followed the path into the garden"

    similar: course, cover, cross, cut (across), go, navigate, pass (over), perambulate, peregrinate, proceed (along), track, transit, travel, traverse
    related: hike, traipse, tramp, tread, walk, ride, run, crisscross

  5. to take notice of and be guided by

    "don't follow his advice"

    similar: heed, listen (to), mind, note, observe, regard, watch
    related: consider, contemplate, mull, ponder, weigh, comply (with), conform (to), keep, obey, respect, attend (to), hark (to), hear, hearken (to), mark, notice, see
    opposite: disregard, ignore, tune out
    near: brush (aside or off), discount, dismiss, gloss (over), gloze (over), neglect, pass over, pooh-pooh, scorn, shrug off, defy, flout, slight, snub

  6. to keep one's eyes on

    "stood on the platform and followed the departing train until it disappeared from sight"

    similar: eye, observe, watch, have one's eye on
    related: behold, look, perceive, regard, see, view, gape, gawk, gaze, glare, goggle, look on, peer, rubberneck, stare, guard, wake, ward, bird-dog, monitor, study, spy, espy, glance, glimpse, peek, peep
    near: blink, wink

Related Entry: Warm-up (noun)

Warm-up is a different word from Suit. The synonyms below are for warm-up, not for suit.

  1. a performance, activity, or event that precedes and sets the stage for the main event

    "the couple's initial exchange of insults proved to be only a warm-up for their booze-fueled fight later that night"

    similar: curtain-raiser, overture, preamble, preliminary, prelude, prologue
    related: countdown, run-up (chiefly British), lead-in, kickoff, start

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Suit

The most common words with a similar meaning to Suit:

Archaic: beseem, fit, glad
Slang: gas
action, lawsuit, proceeding, adjuration, appeal, conjuration, cry, desire, entreaty, petition, plea, pleading, prayer, solicitation, suppliance, supplication, courting, courtship, dating, lovemaking, befit, do, go, serve, agree (with), content, delight, feast, gladden, gratify, please, pleasure, rejoice, satisfy, warm, apparel, array, attire, bedeck, caparison

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Suit

Words with the opposite meaning of Suit:

displease, disarray, disrobe, strip, unclothe, undress, untruss

Related Words for Suit

litigation, case, cause, complaint, counterclaim, countersuit, cross action, cross-claim, application, requisition, call, claim, demand, insistence, wooing, affair, love affair, romance, betrothal, engagement, suffice, function, work, appease, mollify, pacify, placate, soothe, assuage, quench

Near Antonyms of Suit

aggravate, annoy, bother, bug, chafe, cross, exasperate, gall, get, grate, irk, irritate, nettle, peeve, perturb, pique, put out, ruffle, vex, anger, enrage, incense, inflame, infuriate, madden, outrage, rankle, rile, roil, steam up

Word Forms of Suit

Inflections: suited, suiting, suits

Derived words: suited (adjective)

Origin & Etymology of Suit

Middle English sute, seute pursuit, retinue, set, legal action, from Anglo-French siute, suite, from Vulgar Latin *sequita, from feminine of *sequitus, past participle of *sequere to follow sue

First known use: 14th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Suit

Words & Phrases Containing Suit

suit every pocketbook, suit every pocket, suit oneself, suit (someone) down to the ground, suit someone's book, suit up, bathing suit, birthday suit

Frequently Asked Questions about Suit

What does "Suit" mean?

"Suit" means a set of garments. As an a noun and a verb, it is defined as: a set of garments. It has 7 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Suit"?

Other words for "Suit" include action, lawsuit, proceeding, adjuration, appeal, conjuration, cry and desire. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Suit" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Suit"?

There are 210 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Suit". Common alternatives include action, lawsuit, proceeding, adjuration, appeal, conjuration, cry, desire, entreaty and petition.

What is the opposite of "Suit"?

Antonyms of "Suit" include displease, disarray, disrobe, strip, unclothe, undress and untruss. Near antonyms include aggravate, annoy, bother and bug.

How do you use "Suit" in a sentence?

Examples of "Suit" in a sentence: "filed a suit against the company that had manufactured the faulty heater, claiming they were responsible for the fire"; "O Lord of Heaven, hear our humble suit"; "a rather old-fashioned fellow, he first sought the consent of the girl's father for the suit".

Is "Suit" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Suit" can be used as a noun and a verb, depending on the context.

Is "Suit" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As an A2-level word, "Suit" is typical of Cambridge A2 Key (KET), PTE Academic 30–42, TOEIC Listening & Reading 225+.

How do you pronounce "Suit"?

"Suit" is pronounced /ˈsüt/.