inkling

American  

[ingk-ling] / ˈɪŋk lɪŋ /

noun

1. a slight suggestion or indication; hint; intimation.

   They hadn't given us an inkling of what was going to happen.

2. a vague idea or notion; slight understanding.

   They didn't have an inkling of how the new invention worked.

---

inkling British  

/ ˈɪŋklɪŋ /

noun

1. a slight intimation or suggestion; suspicion

---

Etymology

Origin of inkling

1505–15; obsolete inkle to hint ( Middle English inklen ) + -ing ¹; akin to Old English inca suspicion

Example Sentences

It was madness, extraordinary, impossible, he thought; he had woken that morning, pulled on his jeans, and slung his crows’ string around his neck with no inkling that he was going to an enchanted island.

From Literature

Nine months ago, standing in the parking lot of Brother’s Keeper with Patience and Maria Martinez, a Kids Against Climate Change rally had just been an inkling of an idea.

From Literature

Using Claude Code was the first time many users interacted with this kind of AI, offering an inkling of what may be in store.

From The Wall Street Journal

"I'm outgoing and very confident and I love being around people," Auer says, "but I get that inkling that they all think I'm stupid and ugly, and that my life is a continuum of mistakes."

From BBC

Those jobs gave him an inkling that computers would someday fit in our hands and pockets.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• hunch
• indication