to insinuate
42
7.8
- verb
- /ɪnˈsɪn.ju.eɪt/
:
insinuar
- One widely held stereotype insinuates that physically attractive people are less likely to behave criminally.
So what he started doing and and then the world insinuated that guy's racist.
- So what he started doing and and then the world insinuated that guy's racist.
- You insinuated it's going to be bigger than what they're spending, but it's not.
- OK, this first one is titled Am I the asshole for telling my husband's kids how broke he was when we met after they insinuated I was a gold digger?
- It's a little inappropriate, but it's insinuated.
- So I'm going to use the word struggling to walk away, all right, because Stuckwood would insinuate that there's no way out.
- So I'm going to use the word struggling to walk away, all right, because stuck wood would insinuate that there's no way out.
- But equally there weren't, they kind of all insinuated possibly that they had some criminal backgrounds.
- Yes, but but it was the judge's clerk who he insinuated was the girlfriend of Schumer, Chuck Schumer, who?
- Well, if Hassan said you are legally not allowed near schools, so I'm just assuming that I'm just insinuating that that came from maybe a sexual predator, right?
Examples
-
Within earshot of all our colleagues, she smugly insinuated that I hadn't performed a job.
Blog text (5) -
I was upset when I realized that his comments were meant to insinuate that I wasn't qualified for the job.
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Are you trying to insinuate something?
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How dare you insinuate something such like that!
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What a reporter could only insinuate during the first trial now becomes explicit.
Academic text (1991) -
So don't you ever insinuate anything like that again.
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Are you insinuating that it could be a trap?
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Pardon me, professor, but what exactly are you insinuating?
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In fact, I'm kind of insulted that you would ever even insinuate that I would do anything inappropriate with Kyle.
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What are you insinuating?
Synonyms
∞
2.1
To show that something may be true without saying it directly
367
3.5
Suggest something without saying it directly
313
4.9
To say something casually to give a hint
136
2.0
To suggest something in a quiet way without saying it directly
14
7.2
To suggest something indirectly without saying it
4
3.4
To suggest something in a quiet, indirect way
To suggest an idea in an indirect way without full details
Antonyms
How Indirect
Surface Forms
Morphology
insinuate = sinuate (opaque) = in + sinuate
Historically 'in-' + 'sinuate' (to bend/slide in) underlies the word, but the common meaning 'to hint unpleasantly' is a metaphorical shift not derivable by typical learners.
Etymology
Insinuate comes from Latin parts in- 'into' and sinus 'fold' or 'curve', so imagine sliding a quiet idea into the fold of a conversation. A helpful way to remember it is to think of slipping a hint in slowly instead of saying it directly. That's why to insinuate means to suggest something in an indirect, often unpleasant, way.