intimating
Dropping subtle clues
Intimating is suggesting something indirectly or hinting at it without stating it outright: She was intimating that he should resign.
The word carries a sense of communicating through implication rather than direct statement—letting meaning be inferred from context, tone, or careful word choice.
Are you intimating that I'm lying?
Offering an idea indirectly
- insinuatingIndirectly suggesting something
- alludingReferencing indirectly
- connotingImplying beyond literal meaning
- signifyingExpressing or conveying meaning
indicating · inferring · conveying · communicating · expressing · denoting · betokening · bespeak
Making information known
- confidingSharing secrets trustingly
- divulgingRevealing concealed information
- letting slipAccidentally revealing something
- betrayingBreaking trust or loyalty
exposing · unveiling · leaking · suggesting · confessing · admitting · whispering · sharing
Idea proposed for consideration
- hintIndirect suggestion
- allusionIndirect reference to something
- innuendoOblique disparaging remark
- insinuationIndirect, usually negative suggestion
nuance · whisper · nudge · wink · nod · clue · cue · inkling
Suggesting something bad approaches
- portentousOminously significant
- menacingConveying threat or danger
- threateningExpressing intent to harm
- sinisterThreateningly suggestive of harm
dire · gloomy · premonition · apprehension · dread · unease · trepidation · warning
Speaking in circles
- evasiveAvoiding direct response
- roundaboutCircular junction for traffic
- guardedWary and restrained
- discreetCareful to avoid notice
diplomatic · elliptical · periphrastic · ambiguous · cryptic · enigmatic · equivocal · opaque
suggesting
Offering an idea indirectly
- insinuatingIndirectly suggesting something
- alludingReferencing indirectly
- connotingImplying beyond literal meaning
signifying · indicating · inferring · conveying · communicating · expressing · denoting · betokening · bespeak · import
disclosing
Making information known
- confidingSharing secrets trustingly
- divulgingRevealing concealed information
- letting slipAccidentally revealing something
betraying · exposing · unveiling · leaking · suggesting · confessing · admitting · whispering · sharing · imparting
suggestion
Idea proposed for consideration
insinuation · nuance · whisper · nudge · wink · nod · clue · cue · inkling · gesture
ominous
Suggesting something bad approaches
- portentousOminously significant
- menacingConveying threat or danger
- threateningExpressing intent to harm
sinister · dire · gloomy · premonition · apprehension · dread · unease · trepidation · warning · foreshadowing
circumlocutory
Speaking in circles
- evasiveAvoiding direct response
- roundaboutCircular junction for traffic
- guardedWary and restrained
discreet · diplomatic · elliptical · periphrastic · ambiguous · cryptic · enigmatic · equivocal · opaque · covert
- highlightingemphasizing, stressing, underscoring, accenting, accentuating
- guidingadvising, directing, guiding, instructing, leading
intimatingdeclaring
Formally stating something
announcing · proclaiming · asserting · spelling out · broadcasting
intimatingrevealing
Making known what's hidden
disclosing · exposing · divulging · making known · publicizing
intimatingconfirming
Establishing truth of something
affirming · certifying · avowing · insisting · guaranteeing