insinuate
verb
transitive verb
intransitive verb
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When to Use Insinuate
Insinuate comes from the Latin root sinuare, meaning "to bend or curve." It is a synonym of imply or suggest; however, insinuate usually conveys something unpleasant is said in a sly or underhanded way.
Synonyms
- infiltrate
- slip
- sneak
- wind
- work in
- worm
- wriggle
Example Sentences
Jonathan Dienst, NBC News, 11 Aug. 2022 But that does not insinuate the virus should not be taken seriously. Shelby Denise Smith, Essence, 30 July 2022 Naturally Howard survives the attack, so while Unique is still on the hook for the murder attempt, Howard is back on the street with more reason than ever to insinuate himself into Raq and Kanan’s affairs. Kate Aurthur, Variety, 11 Aug. 2022 Cohn offers Rusty good pay to insinuate herself into the couple’s ménage as Hayworth’s secretary and report back to him. Tom Nolan, WSJ, 5 Aug. 2022 His response also seemed to insinuate something demeaning about my mother, and this disturbed me even more. David Wright Faladé, The New Yorker, 4 July 2022 While the charge against Mr. Sussmann is narrow, Mr. Durham has used it to release large amounts of information to insinuate that there was a broad conspiracy involving the Clinton campaign to essentially frame Mr. Trump for colluding with Russia. New York Times, 15 May 2022 In their requests, some conservative groups insinuate that diversity training and minority hiring targets discriminate against Whites and demand companies like Bank of America, Pfizer and Citigroup conduct racial equity audits. Corinne Post, Forbes, 15 June 2022 In this day and age, to insinuate that the pope cannot continue his work in his present condition shows that even the pope is not immune to the prejudice that thousands of people with disabilities suffer on a daily basis. The Salt Lake Tribune, 23 June 2022 See More Word History
Latin insinuatus, past participle of insinuare, from in- + sinuare to bend, curve, from sinus curve
1529, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1b
Kids Definition
insinuate
verb
insinuate
verb
Synonyms & Similar Words
- infiltrate
- insert
- sneak
- worm
- slip
- introduce
- work in
- wind
- wriggle
- creep
- wiggle
- interpolate
- edge
- interpose
Synonyms & Similar Words
- imply
- indicate
- hint
- allude
- suggest
- infer
- refer
- intimate
- mention
- point
- signify
- signal
- signalize
- advert
- smack (of)
- smell (of)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- explain
- declare
- proclaim
- elucidate
- announce
- describe
- delineate
- spell out
Synonyms & Similar Words
- insert
- introduce
- interject
- inject
- interpolate
- add
- intersperse
- interpose
- work in
- edge in
- intercalate
- fit (in or into)
- cut in
- install
- weave
- sandwich (in or between)
- shove
- thrust
- inset
- wedge
- append
- attach
- inlay
- interline
- lard
- interfile
- cram
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- eliminate
- exclude
- extract
- withdraw
- deduct
- expel
- reject
- eject
- subtract
- detach
Synonym Chooser
Some common synonyms of insinuate are hint, imply, intimate, and suggest. While all these words mean "to convey an idea indirectly," insinuate applies to the conveying of a usually unpleasant idea in a sly underhanded manner.
The meanings of hint and insinuate largely overlap; however, hint implies the use of slight or remote suggestion with a minimum of overt statement.
Imply is close to suggest but may indicate a more definite or logical relation of the unexpressed idea to the expressed.
While in some cases nearly identical to insinuate, intimate stresses delicacy of suggestion without connoting any lack of candor.
The words suggest and insinuate are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, suggest may stress putting into the mind by association of ideas, awakening of a desire, or initiating a train of thought.