“indicate”

To imply or suggest something beyond the literal meaning.

“The cracked mirror on the wall connoted years of neglect and quiet despair.”

Best for: Ideal in literary analysis or when discussing layered meaning in text or imagery.

To serve as a sign or omen of something.

“The stillness of the forest betokened a storm that had not yet arrived.”

Best for: Works beautifully in literary or dramatic writing; carries a slightly ominous weight.

To reveal or demonstrate a quality or feeling clearly.

“Her steady hands evinced a calm that her voice could not manage.”

Best for: Strong in formal essays or polished prose when showing rather than telling.

To be evidence of or point toward something.

“The worn spine of the book bespoke a reader who had returned to it many times.”

Best for: Formal and literary; suits descriptive passages and character studies.

To foreshadow or serve as a sign of what is to come.

“The nervous laughter around the table augured badly for the negotiation ahead.”

Best for: Best used when the implication is predictive or prophetic in tone.

To give a faint outline or shadow of something; to foreshadow dimly.

“His early sketches adumbrated a vision that would take decades to fully realize.”

Best for: Rare and academic; reserve for scholarly writing or deliberately ornate prose.