suit
gb/sˈut/ us/sˈut/
A2
English
~ 2300
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A2
entity
1
A matching set of clothes
Clothes that match, usually a jacket with pants or a skirt, worn for work or special events.
Usage pattern:
to wear [a/an] suit
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'suit' with 'suite', which means a set of rooms.
Synonyms
outfit (A general term for a set of clothes, not necessarily matching or formal like a suit.)
Antonyms
casual wear (Clothing meant for informal occasions, the opposite of formal suits.)
Collocations
business suit
|three-piece suit
|tailored suit
|pinstripe suit
Themes
fashion
|daily life
|work
|clothing
|business
|daily_life
Examples
- He wore a dark blue suit to the interview.
- She bought a new suit for the wedding.
- The lawyer always appears in a perfectly tailored suit.
Learner examples
- He is wearing a black suit.
- She has a new suit for work.
- My father wears a suit every day.
Verb
A2
state
2
To be appropriate or match well
To be good for someone or something; to match well.
Usage pattern:
[something] suits [someone/something]
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse 'suit' with 'fit'; 'fit' is about size, while 'suit' is about style or appropriateness.
Synonyms
fit (Often used about size or shape, while 'suit' can refer to style, personality, or appropriateness.)
Antonyms
clash (To not go well together in style, color, or suitability.)
Collocations
suit someone’s needs
|suit the occasion
|suit your taste
Themes
daily life
|preferences
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- That hairstyle really suits you.
- This job suits my skills perfectly.
- The color red doesn’t suit him.
Learner examples
- That dress suits you.
- This time suits me.
- The job suits her skills.
Noun
B1
entity
3
A legal case in court
A legal case where one person or group makes a complaint against another in court.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse 'suit' (legal case) with 'suite' (set of rooms) or clothing 'suit'. Context is important.
Synonyms
lawsuit (A direct synonym; 'lawsuit' is more common in everyday speech for legal cases.)
Antonyms
settlement (An agreement reached without continuing the legal process.)
Collocations
file a suit
|bring a suit
|settle a suit
Themes
law
Examples
- The company filed a suit against its competitor for copyright infringement.
- She won the suit and received compensation.
- They decided to drop the suit after negotiations.
Learner examples
- He filed a suit against the company.
- They settled the suit out of court.
- The judge dismissed the suit.
Noun
B1
entity
4
Category of playing cards
One of four groups in playing cards: hearts, clubs, spades, or diamonds.
Synonyms
category (A general term for grouping; not specific to cards.)
Antonyms
different suit (Refers to cards from another category in the deck.)
Collocations
same suit
|trump suit
Themes
games
|arts_entertainment
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- He played a card from the same suit.
- Spades is my favorite suit.
- You must follow the suit that was led.
Learner examples
- He played a heart suit.
- Spades is my favorite suit.
- You should follow the same suit.
Grammar
Dictionary form
suit
IPA
GB/sˈut/
US/sˈut/
Syllables & stress
suit (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (suit)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: suit
- Plural: suits
Verb
- Base: suit
- 3rd Person Singular: suits
- Present Participle: suiting
- Past: suited
Word family
Forms
suits
noun
suiting
verb
suited
verb
Core family
suitable
adjective A2
Related words
suitably
adverb B2
suitability
noun
Negative and opposite forms
unsuitable
adjective B2
Expressions
dress to the nines in a suit
1/dɹˈɛs tə ðə nˈaɪnz ˈɪn ə sˈut/
fixed phrase
Dress elegantly in a suit
To wear a very stylish and smart-looking suit.
Examples
- He dressed to the nines in a black silk suit for the gala.
- They were all dressed to the nines in suits at the award ceremony.
suit yourself
1/sˈut jʊɹsˈɛlf/
idiom
informal
Do as you wish
Used to tell someone they can do what they want, often because you don't care about their choice.
Examples
- If you don’t want to come, suit yourself.
- Suit yourself — I’m going without you.
follow suit
1/fˈɑloʊ sˈut/
idiom
Do as someone else did
To do the same thing that another person has just done.
Examples
- When one store lowered prices, others quickly followed suit.
- When she left early, the rest of the staff followed suit.
- When one shop lowered its prices, the others soon followed suit.
- She started jogging, and her friends followed suit.
- Other companies followed suit and raised their prices.
- After she dyed her hair, her friends followed suit.