reminiscent

reminiscent — adjective

1. describing something that makes you think of a person, thing, or experience from

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

describing something that makes you think of a person, thing, or experience from the past, usually because of a similarity in appearance, smell, sound, or feeling.

Example

Ritu's cooking is reminiscent of the meals her grandmother used to make in Kerala.

pattern: be reminiscent of [someone/something]

The old train station was strangely reminiscent of the one Aoi visited as a child.

Common collocations
  • strongly reminiscent of
  • vaguely reminiscent of
  • strangely reminiscent of
  • faintly reminiscent of
  • oddly reminiscent of
Synonyms
  • evocative

    stronger emotional or imaginative response; often used for art, music, or writing that creates a vivid feeling (e.g. 'evocative landscape painting')

  • suggestive

    broader — can mean 'making you think of something' but also carries a connotation of indirectly hinting at something, sometimes with a sexual overtone

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

be reminiscent of + noun phrase

Usage Note

Commonly followed by 'of' + a noun phrase. The subject is typically a thing, place, smell, sound, or experience — not a person (a person can be reminiscent of someone else, but the more frequent use is with non-human subjects).

Common Mistakes

This song is reminding of my hometown.
This song is reminiscent of my hometown.
'remind of' needs a person as the subject (e.g. 'This song reminds me of my hometown'); 'reminiscent of' does not require an indirect object.
She reminiscent of her mother.
She is reminiscent of her mother.
'reminiscent' is an adjective and must be used with a form of 'be'.

Word family

  • reminisce
    verbB2
  • reminiscence
    nounC1
  • reminiscently
    adverb

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All three words describe something that brings an idea, image, or memory to mind, but they differ in strength and tone. 'Reminiscent' is the most neutral and specific: it connects something in the present to a particular past person, place, or experience ('the music was reminiscent of 1980s pop'). 'Evocative' is stronger and more emotional — it suggests that something stirs deep feelings, vivid images, or a powerful atmosphere ('the novel's evocative descriptions of the countryside made readers feel they were there'). 'Suggestive' is broader and sometimes carries an indirect or ambiguous hint; in some contexts it can imply something inappropriate or sexual ('a suggestive remark'). Choose 'reminiscent' when the focus is on memory and comparison, 'evocative' when the focus is on emotional or sensory richness, and 'suggestive' when the link is indirect or carries extra connotations.

reminiscent ↗evocativesuggestive

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • be reminiscent of
  • something is reminiscent of
  • find something reminiscent of

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

From Latin 'reminīscēns', the present participle of 'reminīscī' meaning 'to remember'. The Latin word combines 're-' (again) with the root of 'ment-' (mind), so the original sense was 'to think again in the mind'. It entered English through French in the 18th century, first used to describe a person lost in thought about the past, then shifting to describe things that cause such thoughts.