hint
Americannoun
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hints
plural
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an indirect, covert, or helpful suggestion; clue.
Give me a hint as to his identity.
- Synonyms:
- inkling, reminder, memorandum, innuendo, insinuation, allusion
-
a very slight or hardly noticeable amount; soupçon.
a hint of garlic in the salad dressing.
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perceived indication or suggestion; note; intimation.
a hint of spring in the air.
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Obsolete. an occasion or opportunity.
verb (used with object)
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hints,
present (3rd person singular)
-
hinted,
past participle, past
-
hinting
present participle
verb (used without object)
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hints,
present (3rd person singular)
-
hinted,
past participle, past
-
hinting
present participle
noun
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a suggestion or implication given in an indirect or subtle manner
he dropped a hint
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a helpful piece of advice or practical suggestion
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a small amount; trace
verb
Usage
What does hint mean?
A hint is an indirect, disguised, or helpful suggestion. In other words, it’s a clue, as in Can you just give me a hint about what my birthday present is?
A hint that suggests something can be planned or unplanned, and it can even be hidden using language that only some parties may understand. A hint is usually something you see, hear, or read.
Hint can also mean a slightly noticeable amount of, such as with a taste or a smell, as in I taste a hint of fennel in this sausage.
To hint means to give a hint, as in Our teacher hinted that we might not have to take a final exam, but they wouldn’t say for sure.
To hint also means to imply something rather than stating it directly, as in The ending hinted at a sequel coming but never said it outright.
Example: I’ll never figure out the puzzle if you don’t give me a hint.
Synonym Usage
Hint, intimate, insinuate, suggest denote the conveying of an idea to the mind indirectly or without full or explicit statement. To hint is to convey an idea covertly or indirectly, but intelligibly: to hint that one would like a certain present; to hint that bits of gossip might be true. To intimate is to give a barely perceptible hint, often with the purpose of influencing action: to intimate that something may be possible. To insinuate is to hint artfully, often at what one would not dare to say directly: to insinuate something against someone's reputation. Suggest denotes particularly recalling something to the mind or starting a new train of thought by means of association of ideas: The name doesn't suggest anything to me.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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hintsimple
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hintssimple
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have hintedperfect
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has hintedperfect
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am hintingprogressive
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are hintingprogressive
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is hintingprogressive
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have been hintingperfect progressive
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has been hintingperfect progressive
Past
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hintedsimple
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had hintedperfect
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was hintingprogressive
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were hintingprogressive
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had been hintingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of hint
First recorded in 1595–1605; (noun) originally, “opportunity, occasion,” apparently variant of obsolete hent “grasp, act of seizing,” derivative of the verb: “to grasp, take,” Middle English henten, Old English hentan; (verb) derivative of the noun
Explanation
A hint is a slight indication or clue. Your mother might hint at the fact that she doesn’t like your shoes, while your grandmother will just come right out and say that they’re ugly. If you’re a journalist following a lead, you’ll prefer that your source give you all the facts, rather than just a hint. A hint can be an indirect suggestion and it is also a very small amount — maybe you take just a hint of sugar in your coffee. As a verb, hint is an intimation or subtle suggestion. It’s also something you drop, like when you hint that you want a particular video game for your birthday.
Vocabulary lists containing hint
Beowulf vocabulary
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Talk Like Shakespeare Day, List 4
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Words for Cheese Writers
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Even the hint of interest in restaurant stocks is good for the sector.
From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026
The ads don’t invoke climate concerns or hint at hard choices.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026
This is not yet a discovery, but a meaningful hint that they exist.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 4, 2026
At one point, Mariam announces flatly, with a hint of resentment, “We’ve cried out all our tears. We have none left.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
She shrugged, the hint of a smile playing across her face.
From "Half Upon a Time" by James Riley
If I were in the market for a home right now, I’d take that as a big set of hints to look at renting instead of buying.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 9, 2026
And yet the movie’s central storyline hints at writer-director Bassam Tariq’s inclination to subvert his own brooding-antihero saga, allowing room for unpredictability and the slightest whiff of impish irreverence.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026
The first interest-rate increase in three years, and hints of more to come, is likely to tip more apartment owners over the edge.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026
Its anatomy does provide some hints about how it may live and feed.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 18, 2026
I stopped leaving helpful hints because I decided I didn’t want to make Betsy cool anymore.
From Absolutely Almost by Lisa Graff
When I asked if he planned to change his signature long hair, he hinted a haircut might be due.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2026
He later hinted that it is currently one-of-one for now.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 3, 2026
Computer simulations, however, hinted that the structures could possess far more sophisticated magnetic properties.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 2, 2026
He has hinted the dot plot could be toned down or eventually shelved, but it’s unclear if he has enough support inside the Fed to take such a step.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 15, 2026
Audrey’s lips hinted at a smirk I knew well.
From "We Are the Ants" by Shaun David Hutchinson
It gave power-sector stocks a boost by hinting that the sector has hit on a way to turn AI power demand into profit.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
Friday’s strong showing for stocks has helped to revive some of investors’ flagging optimism, hinting at further gains ahead in the fourth quarter, said Jose Torres, senior economist at Interactive Brokers.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 4, 2026
They announced the pregnancy in March on their Instagram accounts, hinting that the future baby could share a matching name, with the photo carousel’s caption: “What’s better than two Taylor Lautners?”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 23, 2026
Ika's analysis found one account reposted nine such claims within just over a tenth of a second -- hinting at possible coordination.
From Barron's ● Sep. 3, 2026
I was never sure, of course, if she was telling the truth, but since she wasn’t actually “telling” it, only hinting, it was never possible to challenge her.
From "Never Let Me Go" by Kazuo Ishiguro
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
