hint

[hint]

noun

1. an indirect, covert, or helpful suggestion; clue.

   Give me a hint as to his identity.

   Synonyms: inkling, reminder, memorandum, innuendo, insinuation, allusion

2. a very slight or hardly noticeable amount; soupçon.

   a hint of garlic in the salad dressing.

3. perceived indication or suggestion; note; intimation.

   a hint of spring in the air.

4. Obsolete.,  an occasion or opportunity.

verb (used with object)

1. to give a hint of.

   gray skies hinting a possible snowfall.

   Synonyms: imply
   Antonyms: declare, express

verb (used without object)

1. to make indirect suggestion or allusion; subtly imply (usually followed byat ).

   The article hinted at corruption in the mayor's office.

hint

/ hɪnt /

noun

1. a suggestion or implication given in an indirect or subtle manner

   he dropped a hint

2. a helpful piece of advice or practical suggestion

3. a small amount; trace

verb

1. to suggest or imply indirectly

Other Word Forms

• hinter noun
• unhinted adjective
• hintingly adverb
• hinting noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of hint¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of hint¹

C17: of uncertain origin

Idioms and Phrases

see take a hint.

Synonym Study

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.

Example Sentences

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has hinted in the past that one solution would be for the existing industry to license Tesla’s tech.

Read more on Barron's

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has hinted in the past that one solution would be for the existing industry to license Tesla’s tech.

Read more on Barron's

These spontaneous discharges hint at behaviors that may occur naturally in the atmosphere.

Read more on Science Daily

Coach DJ Gay said Harris picked up 10 scholarship offers just from his summer performances, with recruiters seeing a hint of his potential.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Two of Powell’s top allies on the rate-setting committee have offered hints that Fed leadership hasn’t given up on that strategy.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• advice 
• announcement 
• clue 
• evidence 
• idea 
• implication 
• impression 
• information 
• inkling 
• intimation 
• mention 
• notion 
• reference 
• reminder 
• scent 
• sign 
• suspicion 
• symptom 
• taste 
• tinge 

When To Use

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.