signific

signific — adjective

  • significpositive
  • more significcomparative
  • most significsuperlative

1. describing something that functions as a sign, signal, or indication of a partic

1.形容詞C2
釋義

describing something that functions as a sign, signal, or indication of a particular fact, situation, or quality — especially when the connection is not immediately obvious.

例句

The sudden drop in temperature is signific of an approaching cold front.

pattern: signific of + noun phrase for natural signs

To the villagers, the bird's unusual call was signific of danger ahead.

subject: impersonal observation as a sign

同義詞
  • indicative

    much more common in everyday and formal English; 'signific' is rarer and more literary

  • suggestive

    broader in meaning — can mean 'evoking' rather than strictly 'pointing to'; 'suggestive of' is also common

  • symbolic

    focuses on representation through cultural or agreed-upon meaning rather than natural cause-effect

文法句型

signific + of + noun phrase

用法筆記

Predominantly used in predicative position (e.g. 'X is signific of Y') rather than attributively. Significantly more common in formal written English than in speech; the synonym 'indicative' is far more frequent in everyday use.

常見錯誤

❌The signific mark showed he was tired.
✅The mark was signific of his tiredness.
💡'signific' is rarely used directly before a noun; it typically follows a linking verb and is paired with 'of'.