INDEX:
1. suitable for a particular situation, job, purpose etc
2. exactly suitable for a particular situation, job, purpose etc
3. when two people are suitable for each other
4. when two things are good when done, eaten etc together
RELATED WORDS
opposite
↑ UNSUITABLE
see also
↑ CONVENIENT
↑ BEST
↑ PERFECT
↑ SUIT/LOOK GOOD TOGETHER
◆◆◆
1. suitable for a particular situation, job, purpose etc
▷ suitable /ˈsuːtəb ə l, ˈsjuː-ǁˈsuː-/ [adjective]
something or someone that is suitable is the right type of thing or person for a purpose, job, or situation :
▪ I still haven’t found a suitable job.
▪ You must wear something suitable - preferably black.
suitable for
▪ The house would be suitable for a large family.
▪ Plants of this type are suitable for use in an aquarium.
eminently suitable
very suitable
▪ The property is centrally located and eminently suitable for our purposes.
suitably [adverb]
▪ Few of the young people were dressed suitably for the wedding.
▷ right /raɪt/ [adjective]
suitable. Right is used more in informal language than suitable :
▪ I don’t know the right word to describe it.
▪ We’ve been thinking about selling the house, but I’m not sure the time is right.
▪ We all agree that Carey is the right person for the job.
right for
▪ It’s a good school, but it wasn’t really right for Melissa.
▷ proper /ˈprɒpəʳǁˈprɑː-/ [adjective only before noun]
suitable for a particular purpose or situation :
▪ You can’t climb a mountain without the proper equipment.
▪ I can’t make the repairs without the proper tools or materials.
▪ With proper training, most people can learn leadership skills.
properly [adverb]
▪ The machine operators had not been properly trained.
▷ appropriate /əˈprəʊpri-ɪt, əˈprəʊpri-ət/ [adjective]
suitable for a situation or purpose - use this especially about something that has been carefully chosen for a particular situation :
▪ You will be given your orders at the appropriate time.
▪ Considering what he did, I think the punishment was appropriate.
appropriate for
▪ Each member is given a special exercise routine that is appropriate for his or her needs
appropriately [adverb]
▪ his manner at the funeral was appropriately solemn.
▷ good /gʊd/ [adjective] especially spoken
very suitable for a purpose or job - use this especially when there are several suitable people or things to choose from :
▪ Bates would be a good person to have on the team.
▪ Would now be a good time to discuss the plans for the conference?
good for
▪ The big jars are good for storing rice or pasta.
▷ suit /suːt, sjuːtǁsuːt/ [transitive verb not in passive]
something that suits a person, purpose, situation etc is suitable for them :
▪ This is a job that would suit someone with a lot of experience abroad.
▪ They found us a house close to the campus, which suited us very well.
suit somebody’s needs
▪ Make sure you choose a computer that suits your needs.
suit somebody fine/well/perfectly
▪ The weather here suits me fine.
▷ be suited to /biː ˈsuːtə̇d tuː/ [verb phrase]
if someone or something is suited to a situation, purpose, or job they have the qualities that make them suitable for it :
▪ Wearing a suit and tie just is not suited to a tropical climate.
▪ Do you think his personality is suited to a career in teaching?
ideally/well/perfectly suited to something
▪ The electric car is well suited to the needs of city drivers.
▷ be cut out for /biː ˌkʌt ˈaʊt fɔːʳ/ [verb phrase]
if someone is cut out for a particular job, they have personal qualities that are suitable for it and are therefore likely to succeed at it - use this especially in questions and negative sentences :
▪ Maybe he’s just not cut out for an acting career.
▪ She knew she was cut out for more than scrubbing floors and doing laundry.
▷ lends itself to /ˈlendz ɪtself tuː/ [verb phrase]
if something lends itself to being used in a particular way, it has qualities that make it easy and suitable for using in that way :
▪ Many of his poems lend themselves to songs very easily.
▪ The marshy land at the mouth of the Neva River hardly lent itself to habitation.
2. exactly suitable for a particular situation, job, purpose etc
▷ just right /ˌdʒʌst ˈraɪt/ [adjective phrase]
exactly suitable :
▪ I moved into a small apartment close to the college - it was just right.
just right for
▪ Your new dress will be just right for the party.
just the right colour/size/age etc
▪ We found a cashmere scarf that was just the right color.
▪ Setting the mood for romance means candlelight and just the right music.
▷ ideal /aɪˈdiəl/ [adjective]
the ideal thing or person is the most suitable one you can possibly choose, when there are many to choose from :
▪ The trip is difficult, even under ideal conditions.
▪ If you could complete the report by Friday, that would be ideal.
ideal for
▪ With its tough suspension and 4-wheel drive, the truck is ideal for driving in the desert.
▷ be made for /biː ˈmeɪd fɔːʳ/ [verb phrase]
to be exactly right for a particular job or purpose :
▪ The job is made for someone like you.
▪ In the garden stood an old apple tree with low branches, just made for climbing.
▷ fit the bill /ˌfɪt ðə ˈbɪl/ [verb phrase not in progressive or passive]
to have exactly the qualities needed to be suitable for a particular job, situation etc :
▪ We know what kind of house we want, but we haven’t yet found one that fits the bill.
▪ I need someone who can speak both French and Spanish. Do you know anyone who fits the bill?
3. when two people are suitable for each other
▷ compatible /kəmˈpætɪb ə l, kəmˈpætəb ə l/ [adjective]
able to have a very good relationship with each other, because you have characters, interests, qualities etc that go well together :
▪ Compatible couples generally share the same values and have similar lifestyles and goals.
▪ The success of a relationship depends largely on how compatible two people are and how well they communicate.
compatibility /kəmˌpætɪˈbɪləti, kəmˌpætəˈbɪləti/ [uncountable noun]
▪ Compatibility is just as important as romantic love.
▷ be well-matched also be well-suited British /biː ˌwel ˈmætʃt, biː ˌwel ˈsuːtə̇d/ [verb phrase]
if two people are well-matched or well-suited, they are suitable for each other because they agree about most things, like and dislike the same things etc :
▪ They’re a well-matched pair. He’s ambitious, and she’ll back him all the way.
▪ Selina and I are very well-suited to each other. We seem to agree about most things.
▷ be made for each other /biː ˈmeɪd fər iːtʃ ˌʌðəʳ/ [verb phrase]
if two people are made for each other, they are naturally very suitable for each other :
▪ Sam and Ellie are made for each other. I just can’t think of either of them with anyone else.
▪ When they met in Paris last fall, they fell immediately in love and knew they were made for each other.
▷ be a perfect match/pair/couple /biː ə ˌpɜːʳfɪkt ˈmætʃ, ˈpeəʳ, ˈkʌp ə l/ [verb phrase]
to be exactly suitable for each other :
▪ Isn’t it great that Will and Sue are getting married? I really think they are a perfect match.
▪ They’re a perfect couple - Joe has charm and Delia has money.
▷ be right for also be the right one/person/man/woman etc for /biː ˈraɪt fɔːʳ, biː ðə ˌraɪt ˈwʌn fɔːʳ/ [verb phrase]
if someone is right for someone else or the right one for them, they have the type of character, interests etc that make them likely to have a very good relationship with that person :
▪ She’s a nice girl, but I don’t think she’s right for my brother.
▪ As soon as I met him, I knew he was the right one for me.
▷ be ideally suited /biː aɪˌdɪəli ˈsuːtə̇d/ [verb phrase] British
if two people are ideally suited, they are so suitable for each other that it would be very difficult to find a better relationship :
▪ They are both as mad as each other. Ideally suited I would say.
be ideally suited for
▪ Malcom will be ideally suited for Angela. They have such a lot in common.
4. when two things are good when done, eaten etc together
▷ go together/go with /ˈgəʊ təˌgeðəʳ, ˈgəʊ wɪð/ [verb phrase not in progressive]
if two things go together, or if one of them goes with the other, they are suitable for each other :
▪ Lamb goes very well with herbs such as rosemary and thyme.
▪ Do this skirt and blouse go together?
▪ The company’s old headquarters didn’t go with their corporate image.
▷ be just right with /biː ˌdʒʌst ˈraɪt wɪð/ [verb phrase]
if one thing is just right with another, it goes with the other :
▪ The wine is just right with a grilled steak.
be just the right thing with something
▪ This jacket will be just the right thing with my blue skirt.
▷ complement /ˈkɒmplɪment, ˈkɒmpləmentǁˈkɑːm-/ [transitive verb not in progressive]
if one type of food or drink complements another, it improves the taste because they taste good together :
▪ The wine complemented the meal perfectly.
▪ The chicken dish is complemented by wild rice or spiced couscous.