a word in someone's ear
2
6.3
- idiom
- Informal
- She whispered a word in his ear, offering a suggestion for how to handle the situation.
Examples
-
Shall I speak a word in your ear?
-
A word in your ear, sir.
-
The teacher had a word in her student's ear about improving his grades.
-
During the meeting, he leaned over to have a word in her ear about the upcoming changes.
Synonyms
517
2.2
Give someone advice about what to do
92
4.0
To give advice to someone about personal or legal matters
2
6.0
To speak to someone in private about something sensitive
1
9.8
To whisper to someone in secret to make them agree
Antonyms
How Private
96
4.6
- Informal
2
6.3
2
6.0
549
1.0
∞
1.0
Surface Forms
Morphology
a + word + in + someone's + ear
The phrase literally combines 'word' + 'in' + 'ear' to evoke speaking privately or whispering, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent meanings can infer the sense of giving advice or information quietly. This composition is a common, cross-linguistic image (putting a word in someone's ear) rather than an arbitrary idiom, making the meaning transparently derivable.
Etymology
A word in someone's ear comes from the clear picture of someone leaning close and whispering a single word into another person's ear, so only that person hears it. That's why it now means 'to speak to someone privately', often to give advice or a warning.