intimate
1 Americanadjective
-
associated in close personal relations.
an intimate friend.
- Synonyms:
- dear
-
characterized by or involving warm friendship or a personally close or familiar association or feeling.
an intimate greeting.
-
very private; closely personal.
one's intimate affairs.
- Synonyms:
- secret, confidential
-
characterized by or suggesting an atmosphere conducive to privacy or intimacy; warmly cozy.
an intimate little café where we can relax and talk.
-
(of an association, knowledge, understanding, etc.) arising from close personal connection or familiar experience.
-
engaged in or characterized by sexual relations.
too young to handle an intimate relationship.
-
(of women's clothing) worn next to the skin, under street or outer garments.
a store that sells intimate apparel.
-
a more intimate analysis.
- Synonyms:
- profound, thorough, in-depth, exhaustive
-
showing a close union or combination of particles or elements.
an intimate mixture.
-
inmost; deep within.
-
of, relating to, or characteristic of the inmost or essential nature; intrinsic.
the intimate structure of an organism.
-
of, relating to, or existing in the inmost depths of the mind.
intimate beliefs.
noun
-
intimates
plural
adjective
-
characterized by a close or warm personal relationship
an intimate friend
-
deeply personal, private, or secret
-
euphemistic having sexual relations (with)
-
-
having a deep or unusual knowledge (of)
-
(of knowledge) deep; extensive
-
-
having a friendly, warm, or informal atmosphere
an intimate nightclub
-
of or relating to the essential part or nature of something; intrinsic
-
denoting the informal second person of verbs and pronouns in French and other languages
noun
verb
-
to hint; suggest
-
to proclaim; make known
Synonym Usage
See familiar.
See hint.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
intimatesimple
-
intimatessimple
-
have intimatedperfect
-
has intimatedperfect
-
am intimatingprogressive
-
are intimatingprogressive
-
is intimatingprogressive
-
have been intimatingperfect progressive
-
has been intimatingperfect progressive
Past
-
intimatedsimple
-
had intimatedperfect
-
was intimatingprogressive
-
were intimatingprogressive
-
had been intimatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of intimate1
First recorded in 1600–10; from Latin intimātus, past participle of intimāre “to announce, make known,” derivative of intimus “inmost, most intimate”; see intima
Origin of intimate2
First recorded in 1530–40; from Late Latin intimātus, past participle of intimāre “to impress (upon), make known,” equivalent to intim(us) “inmost” ( see intima) + -ātus -ate 1
Explanation
Intimate means being close. A small restaurant is called intimate because you're sitting close to the other people, and your best friends are considered your intimate friends. This adjective can mean very friendly, or very personal or private. The original spelling was intime, from French, from Latin intimus "innermost," from intus "within." The related verb intimate means to hint or suggest. Intimate is also a noun meaning a close friend or associate. You might intimate to your intimates that you want to leave a boring party.
Vocabulary lists containing intimate
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The Diary of Anne Frank
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
In the Mood? 100 Words to Describe Emotions
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
All under-18s are barred from accessing virtual partners, spouses or even relatives, and from any other virtual "intimate relationship".
From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026
In the four years since ChatGPT’s breakthrough, generative-text bots have become an unavoidable, discomfiting presence in our most intimate relations—friendships, family ties, romantic prospects.
From Slate ● Sep. 29, 2026
Mr. Worthen has the gift of projecting sympathy with a light touch, and his intimate study of Brahms feels complete and satisfying.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026
This is an intimate, vulnerable portrayal of behind-the-scenes Hollywood — why was that important for you to examine?
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 24, 2026
Although I was not in the habit of counting Drummle as one of my intimate associates, I answered, “Yes.”
From "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens
Although called a “Pietà,” it was not a depiction of Christ mourned by his intimates, but rather a “Man of Sorrows”—the dead Savior, half-length, with youthful angels—a timeless image designed for contemplation and meditation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 23, 2026
These are intentionally not the Kennedy family’s stories or takes from their intimates, but the people who had enough of a professional closeness to be at hand when the assassination happened.
From Salon ● Nov. 5, 2023
“I look happy, but only in old photos,” Benito intimates in Spanish.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2023
“There is something in a landscape like that which humbles you and intimates to you that there’s something very big out there, and this thing has an awful lot of power,” says Lindahl.
From National Geographic ● Oct. 13, 2023
Of those matters too jaggedly personal to reveal to intimates, my parents will never speak.
From "Hunger of Memory" by Richard Rodriguez
They also expressed doubt that the Venezuelan oil producer, led by businessman Alejandro Betancourt, could quickly scale up production to the heights the Trump administration has intimated.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026
Newcastle do not want to lose another big name in Bruno Guimaraes, but the captain's future is uncertain after he intimated he wished to join Arsenal.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
During discussions aimed at checking the financial conditions of a deal for Guimaraes, it is understood a fee of around £60m was initially intimated with the 28-year-old's representatives.
From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026
The local police union meanwhile intimated that Smith’s Dec. 8 resignation was timed to duck further questioning.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 17, 2025
“The headmaster has intimated that he would prefer fewer visits from me,” she said coldly.
From "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling
The chair indicates “throne,” the austere clock adds a symbolic note of sober timeliness, as well as intimating life’s inevitable transience.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 17, 2024
However, Ten Hag refused to accept the negative view of the result, while intimating nobody should expect him to produce magical outcomes.
From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2024
Asked by other players what she was doing, she shouted, “Look at me, look at me,” intimating she couldn’t do much about it.
From Washington Times ● Aug. 21, 2023
He played intense, intimating characters so often, but I think the trick is finding the levity inside the intensity.
From Salon ● Mar. 22, 2023
He was intimating that physics at Berkeley might have to continue without Robert Oppenheimer.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
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.
