insinuating
1
7.5
- adjective
- /ɪnˈsɪn.ju.eɪ.tɪŋ/
:
insinuante
- With a soft, insinuating smile, she charmed everyone at the party.
- an insinuating smile
- an insinuating tone
- an insinuating way
Examples
-
The mailman smiled at him, a slow, sly, insinuating smile that made Billy's blood run cold.
Fiction book (1991) -
"Why, yes, of course we do," he said in a frightfully insinuating tone.
Fiction book (1994) -
Her voice is sharp and insinuating.
Fiction book (1992) -
His terrible, languorous, insinuating walk.
-
"It was a snide, insinuating voice.
Fiction book (2001) -
Shut your ears to the insinuating voice of hope, tempting us from all sides.
Fiction book (1991) -
And he walks about the city with an easy, insinuating military strut.
Fiction book (1990) -
Billy forced himself to stare only at the professor, trying to ignore entirely the creepy, insinuating look of the mailman.
Fiction book (1991) -
Rain fell in a steady, insinuating drizzle that sparkled around lamplights.
Fiction book (1992) -
He spoke in an insinuating tone, trying to gain her trust without being too obvious.
Synonyms
1
7.3
Pretending to be friendly to make someone like you
Trying to please someone to get their approval, often not sincere
Antonyms
How Ingratiating
- Formal
7
9.3
1
7.5
57
4.2
18
4.2
773
1.0
329
1.0
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
The word insinuating comes from Latin parts in- 'into' and sinus 'curve' or 'bend', giving the idea of something that 'slips in' slowly. So an insinuating tone or smile is like a quiet, sliding move that tries to 'slip into' someone's favor.