hint
/hɪnt
/noun
1A slight or indirect indication or suggestion: he has given no hint of his views...
- Their hints at a possible agreement made reporters froth at the mouth and swat speculation back and forth between themselves.
- Xil thought she detected hypnotic hints in the piece.
- Suddenly the hints and puzzle pieces began to form a point and it hit me harder than falling ten stories off an apartment building.
Synonyms
clue, inkling, suggestion, indication, indicator, sign, signal, pointer, intimation, insinuation, innuendo, mention, allusion, whisper, a word to the wise
1.1A very small trace of something: Randall smiled with a hint of mockery...
- But we view our own political elites, fighting against them, with more than a hint of suspicion.
- Team-work touched with a hint of madness is what seems to appeal, which is why Rodrigues has settled in so well.
- On tasting you get a hint of ripe melon and then a rush of buttery tropical fruits bound with oak.
Synonyms
trace, touch, suspicion, suggestion, dash, soupçon, tinge, modicum, breath, whiff, taste, scent, whisper, undertone
informal smidgen, sniff, tad
2A small piece of practical information or advice: handy hints on saving energy in your home...
- The course organiser provides practical hints to help break the routine, fight the cravings and stay positive through the whole process.
- The trouble is that until this week the public have only received hints of the information underlying their leader's certainty.
- The authors give practical hints on how to stage a coup, and consider what might happen if the military decided to take over in Britain.
Synonyms
tip, suggestion, piece of advice, word of advice, pointer, clue, cue, guideline, recommendation;
advice, help
informal how-to, wrinkle
verb [no object]
1Suggest or indicate something indirectly or covertly: the Minister hinted at a possible change of heart [with clause]: he hinted that the sale might be delayed...
- So I wondered whether people were suggesting or hinting to me that I should step down.
- I told him how my mom was hinting for me to offer them a place to live.
- In adding this, Dr Hope is strongly hinting that he may yet change his mind - but he is also risking being accused of procrastination.
Synonyms
imply, insinuate, intimate, suggest, indicate, signal, whisper, give a clue, give an inkling, let it be known, allude to the fact, make a reference to the fact, refer to the fact, give someone to understand, give someone to believe;
allude to, refer to, drive at, mean
informal get at
1.1 (hint at) Be a slight or possible indication of: the restrained fronts of the terraced houses only hinted at the wealth within...
- It also needs to keep London and Dublin in line with a flash of thigh that hints at possible future breakthroughs.
- This copy does more than hint at possible enjoyment, which is all that would be needed for a low-involvement decision.
- If so, they rarely show it, although a few jump cuts in the sequences with Amin hint at possible difficulties.
Phrases
take a (or the) hint
Origin
Early 17th century (in the sense 'occasion, opportunity'): apparently from obsolete hent 'grasp, get hold of', from Old English hentan, of Germanic origin; related to hunt. The basic notion is ‘something that may be taken advantage of’.