Rank smells are a clear indicator that food should be thrown away.
Source: tatoeba (2136579)
Indicator
Synonyms for "indicator" (371 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (75)
Noun(45 words)
alarm signalassessment metricassessment metricsbarometerbarometersbeaconbellwetherbellwethersbelonging at schoolbenchmarkbiodiversity indicatorbiology exam scoreblipsbody signalsboost ecosystem vitalitycacomixlecanarychemical reagentcivilizabilityclassroom descriptive term
Show 25 more words
cluecluescolorcolor change indicatorcolor changercolors cuecommunication signalcommunity goalscommunity progresscomparative markercontext cuecoral reef resiliencecorrelatescost effectivenesscoughingcrack growth cuecuecuescurrent status indicatordata measuredegree indicatordegree of cultural lossdeprivationsdetectordetectors
Adjective(10 words)
algorithmic metricautomatic irrigation cuebehavioral attributebiological signalblue cuecivic progress indicatorsconspicuous cuecritical descriptorcultural industries outputcultural practice indicators
Verb(2 words)
betokensdesignate a proxy
Strong matches (111)
Adjective(17 words)
diagnostic criteriondiagnostic marksdiagnostic taskdiagnostic traitdistinguishing featureecological attributeecological conditionecological measureecological proxyeconomic influence factorseducational metricenvironmental functionergonomic signalsevidentialexperimental signalgeological upheaval indicatorsinstructional indicator
Noun(60 words)
dialdialsdigital current-status indicatordirection signsdirectional cuedirectional signdiscriminantdistinctive featuredrawing elementdummyecosystem attributeecosystem functionecosystem vigoreducation measureencouragingengineered change outcomeenvironmental health metricenvironmental metricevidencefinancial metric
Show 40 more words
fingerprintsflagflag signalflagsforetastingfugogaugegaugesgender gapgeological featuregiveawaygiveawaysgleamsgovernance scoregroup attribute measuregroup traitguaiacguideposthallmarkshand steadinesshandkerchieveshandsharbingersheraldheraldinghighlightingimportance descriptorin water qualityindindexindex numberindex valueindicantindicator propertyindicator signalindicesinjectantinvestment measurekey cluekronecker
differentiadisplayearmarkecho sounderfathometerfault lampflowmetergalvanometergaugehallmarkhandhis honorhis lordshiphis worshiphumidity indicatorhygrometeridiosyncrasyimageindexindicant
Verb(6 words)
gauge interestindicate directionindicate findingsindicate resultsindicate trendinteracted outcomes
Related words (185)
Noun(114 words)
kronecker deltalab reagentlandscape metricslanguage aptitudelanguage education trendlanguage featurelanguage learner progresslansalearning style descriptorlitmusmark word in textmarkermarkersmarket descriptormarketing factormathematical signmeasuremeasure economic valuemeasure educational impactmeasurement indicators
Show 94 more words
mechanical faultmedical symptommetermetricmirrors progressmore and morenetwork transfer ratenon physical science unitoperational characteristicoutward signpeer collaboration targetspeer group dynamicspencil markperformance measureperformance measuresperformance metricphysiological metricphysiology measureplanchettepointerspolicy measureportentsposition indicatorpower on indicatorprecursorprepare mix reagentpresagespressure cuepricesprogress markersproxiesratiosreadoutrepair cuesresource efficiencyrisk signalromanian semnrosebudsscience indexsentinelsentinelssentriesshadowsignsignalsignal a warningsignal cuesignal detectionsignal indicatorsignal intentsignal strengthsignalingsignallingsignalssignals desiresignifiersignifier of meaningsignifyingsignifying cluesignpostsigns of deteriorationsigns of disorganizationsocial progress indexsocial progress markersomraispecifierstable organic matterstainingstate statisticsstatisticstatus indicatorsubstance used in experimentssurrogatesurrogatessymptomssystem performancetelltell someone abouttellstelltaletelltalestest reagenttogglestracetracertransition cueturn signalveadarvehicle turn signalvisual cuewarning lightwarning signwater quality descriptorwhole-body fatigue
leadliquid-level indicatorload indicatorloggermagistratemarkmeasuremetermoderatorneedlenotepeculiarityph meterpictureplumbplumb bobplumb lineplummetpointerpotentiometer
Show 28 more words
probepropertypsychometerpyrometerradarradar partsrefereerepresentationrepresentativesealsigilsignsignalsignaturesoundspace probestampsure signsymptomtelltale signthermocoupletime-interval metertokentraitturn indicatorumpirevibration metervoltage indicator
Adjective(18 words)
measurable attributenon saxon markerobservable cueobservable featureobservable signobservable signalobservational metricphysical markersemantic cluessocial stabilityspanish signostatistical conceptsymbolic implementtell-taletemporal cuevisible cuevisual cueswarning signs
Determiner(2 words)
most lab reagentmost signal
Verb(3 words)
showing evidencesignal the endsignaled for help
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: alarm signal, algorithmic metric, arbiter, arbitrator, assessment metric.
- Sentence evidence is available for indicator, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from derived_reverse, moby, opengloss, wordnet, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "indicator".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "indicator"
Keep "indicator" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "indicator" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "indicator", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "indicator" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
12 entriescolorcoloring materialcolourcolouring materialdevicefactmeasurementsignsignalsignalingsignallingstatistic
More specific
3 entriesattendance ratecompletion ratetest score
Collocations
6 entriesdata indicatoreconomic indicatorleading indicatorperformance indicatorquality indicatorwarning indicator
Inflections
1 entriesDerivations
2 entriesSample sentences
15 total sentences available.
You forgot to drop the indicator, that's why it never changes its color.
Source: tatoeba (2760604)
Self-harm is often regarded as an indicator of insanity.
Source: tatoeba (4056648)
In assessing scientific work, citation counts provide a more reliable indicator, than the impact factor of the journal in which it was published.
Source: tatoeba (4256899)
Showing 4 of 15 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "indicator"?
Closest matches include alarm signal, algorithmic metric, arbiter, arbitrator, assessment metric.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "indicator"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.