suit
/suːt/ (bre, ipa) · /suːt/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈsüt/ (ame, mw)
suit — noun
- suitsingular
- suitsplural
1. formal clothing consisting of a jacket paired with matching trousers or a matchi
formal clothing consisting of a jacket paired with matching trousers or a matching skirt, all cut from identical cloth and commonly worn to work or special events
Lien wore a grey wool suit to the job interview.
Tomás bought a new suit for his brother's wedding.
The tailor measured Anjali carefully before cutting the suit fabric.
Élise hung the suit on the back of the door to let the wrinkles fall out.
Asher looked uncomfortable in the dark blue suit and stiff collar.
文法句型
a suit
suit + noun
用法筆記
Often modified by fabric or colour words (wool suit, grey suit, pinstripe suit). A woman's skirt suit is sometimes called a 'skirt suit' to distinguish it from trousers.
常見錯誤
❌ 'She wore a suit of armour to the party.' — a suit of armour is a metal protective covering, not clothing.
2. clothing designed for a specific purpose or activity, often covering most of the
clothing designed for a specific purpose or activity, often covering most of the body for protection, safety, or practicality
Yael put on a wet suit before jumping into the cold ocean.
collocation: wet suit (for diving/swimming in cold water)
The firefighter's protective suit can withstand very high temperatures.
Joshua wore a full-body suit in the laboratory to handle dangerous chemicals.
Tariq tried on an old-fashioned diving suit with a heavy metal helmet.
Min's spacesuit has a built-in cooling system to regulate body temperature.
文法句型
a [type] suit
suit for [activity]
用法筆記
The word before 'suit' tells you the activity or hazard: swimsuit, wetsuit, spacesuit, bodysuit, jumpsuit, protective suit. These are compound nouns, not separate words.
3. a legal disagreement taken before a judge by an individual or company, typically
a legal disagreement taken before a judge by an individual or company, typically seeking compensation or a ruling on a dispute
Hassan's family filed a suit against the factory for polluting the local river.
collocation: file a suit against
The court dismissed the suit because there was not enough evidence.
Mauricio spent three years fighting a legal suit over the ownership of his land.
The Kim family decided to drop the suit after reaching an out-of-court settlement.
Several workers joined together to bring a class-action suit against the mining company.
- lawsuit
the full form, more common in general usage
- case
broader term for any matter dealt with by a court
- legal action
formal term for the process of taking a dispute to court
- claim
a demand for compensation, especially in civil law
文法句型
a suit against [somebody]
file a suit
bring a suit
用法筆記
Often interchangeable with 'lawsuit' in everyday English. 'Suit' is slightly more formal and is common in legal writing. The verb is 'sue' (to take legal action against someone).
常見錯誤
4. one of the four groups into which a deck of playing cards is divided, each marke
one of the four groups into which a deck of playing cards is divided, each marked with a different symbol: hearts, diamonds, clubs, or spades
The player had to match the suit of the card that was on top of the pile.
My grandmother can name every card in the suit of hearts without looking.
collocation: suit of hearts
In the card game, spades is the most powerful suit of the four.
The dealer shuffled the deck and asked each person to pick a suit.
- suit of cards
fuller form, used for clarity
文法句型
[suit name] + suit
suit of + [symbol]
用法筆記
In many card games, the suits have a ranking order (spades highest, then hearts, diamonds, clubs lowest in Bridge). Some games treat all suits equally.
5. an informal and often negative term for a corporate employee or executive in for
an informal and often negative term for a corporate employee or executive in formal office attire, whose priorities are seen as financial rather than human or creative
The startup founders complained that the suits from the head office did not understand their product.
informal, disapproving usage
After years of coding, Christopher refused to become a suit working in a corporate tower.
The film portrays corporate suits as people who only care about quarterly profits.
A group of suits arrived at the factory and announced the layoffs without warning.
文法句型
a suit (noun referring to a person)
用法筆記
Almost always carries a negative or dismissive tone. The plural 'suits' is common. This sense is informal and should be avoided in formal writing.
suit — verb
- suitpresent simple I / you / we / they
- suits3rd person singular
- suiting-ing form
- suitedpast simple
1. to be the right choice for someone's needs or circumstances — for example, a tim
to be the right choice for someone's needs or circumstances — for example, a time that works with their schedule or a job that fits their personality
The evening class schedule suits Lien because she works during the day.
clause pattern: suit + noun + because-clause
That seven o'clock meeting does not suit Joshua at all.
A quiet village would suit Tariq better than a busy city.
The hotel found a room that suited their budget and their taste.
The sofa you choose should suit the size and style of your living room.
- fit
focuses more on size or shape matching; 'suit' focuses on appropriateness for needs or character
- match
emphasises similarity or compatibility between two things
- be appropriate for
more formal, used in official or written contexts
文法句型
suit + noun/pronoun
suit + to-infinitive (rare)
not suit + noun
用法筆記
Commonly used in negatives and questions: 'Does Tuesday suit you?' 'That time doesn't suit me.' Cannot be used in progressive forms (not 'is suiting').
常見錯誤
2. to improve someone's appearance, especially when talking about the colours they
to improve someone's appearance, especially when talking about the colours they wear or the styles they choose
That shade of blue really suits Min and brings out the colour of her eyes.
pattern: colour + suits + person
Tomás decided to buy the grey jacket because the salesperson said it suited him.
Short hair suits Élise much better than the long style she had before.
Mauricio tried on several ties but only the red one suited his complexion.
That dress really suits you — you should buy it.
- flatter
more direct synonym; 'that dress flatters you' means the same thing
- look good on
informal phrase combining 'look' with 'on'; 'that colour looks good on you'
文法句型
[clothing/colour/style] + suits + [person]
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1: 'The blue shirt suits you' (you look good in it) vs 'The blue shirt suits the occasion' (it is appropriate). In this sense the subject is always a feature of the person's appearance.
常見錯誤
3. to be convenient or practical for someone, fitting easily into their schedule, p
to be convenient or practical for someone, fitting easily into their schedule, preferences, or way of doing things
Would Thursday afternoon suit you better than Friday morning for the meeting?
question form: Would [time] suit [person]?
The new office hours suit Asher because he can drop his children at school first.
It does not suit the manager to hold the review meeting during the lunch break.
The online booking system suits customers who prefer to avoid phone calls.
Pick a date that suits you and I will arrange the rest around it.
- be convenient for
more formal; 'Is Friday convenient for you?'
- work for
informal; 'Does Tuesday work for you?'
- fit
more general; 'That time fits my schedule.'
- inconvenience
the opposite effect on someone
文法句型
suit + noun/pronoun
it suits + [person] + to-infinitive
用法筆記
Very common in scheduling contexts: 'Does that suit you?' 'Name a time that suits.' It suggests consideration for someone else's convenience unlike 'fit' which is more neutral about the arrangement.