Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage, and then is heard no more. It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.
Source: tatoeba (1078682)
Signifying
Synonyms for "signifying" (52 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (11)
Noun(6 words)
Verb(1 words)
Strong matches (15)
Related words (26)
Noun(14 words)
mattermeanmeaningmeaningfulnotablerepresentsignalsignalingsignificancesignificantsilent gesturesuggestivesymbolic adjectivesymbolic rite
Adjective(1 words)
symbolic notation
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: connotation, connotative, cue, demonstrative, denotation.
- Sentence evidence is available for signifying, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from opengloss, derived_reverse.
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 "signifying".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "signifying"
Keep "signifying" 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 "signifying" 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 "signifying", 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 "signifying" 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
8 entriesMore specific
15 entriesCollocations
13 entriessignifying a problemsignifying a trendsignifying actsignifying cluesignifying cuesignifying evidencesignifying factorsignifying gesturesignifying importancesignifying momentsignifying signsignifying symbolsignifying that
Inflections
4 entriesDerivations
7 entriesSample sentences
7 total sentences available.
Life is a tale, told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.
Source: tatoeba (7780829)
“The appeal of the house for Americans, going back into the 20th century, was that it signified autonomy. You know, every home is a castle,” says Louis Hyman, an economic historian and assistant professor at Cornell University. “So, it has these echoes of signifying independence and achievement.”
Source: tatoeba (8312382)
On the 10th of March of 2015, it is a walking day to a doctor's appointment. In the morning, I visit the local Roman Catholic worship centre. It is a brown mid-20th-century building. I gaze at a Mexican Santa María painting in the hallway. There are words in Spanish. The banners in the high-ceiling main chamber are purple, signifying support for Lojban and things Lojbanic, perhaps. By lunchtime, I am at the Richmond Public Market. I take the stairs up. First, I drink a plastic glass full of Sour Plum Bubble Iced Green Tea from a bubble tea vendor called Peanuts. Second, from the food vendor Captain Wa at a corner, I eat Noodles with Lemon Chicken, Tofu, Lotus Root Slices, as well as complimentary Hot Tea. Third, I drink a Starfruit Bubble Iced Green Tea from Peanuts, again. Fourth, having taken the escalator down, I buy a strange sinographic dictionary of a strange Asian Mainland tonal language. Fifth, having gone up the escalator, I drink a Mint Iced Tea from a bubble tea vendor called QQ Bubble Tea & Coffee. (The Q maybe is support for my Xoqolat.) The cold mint drink reminds me of my drinking mint at a café in Versailles in France, years ago. The Richmond Public Market is like a big garden atrium, as if in the middle of a tropical jungle. It is full of Kanjifolk.
Source: tatoeba (10692755)
Showing 4 of 7 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "signifying"?
Closest matches include connotation, connotative, cue, demonstrative, denotation.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "signifying"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.