English Explanatory Dictionary

insinuate

English dictionary entry

Meanings

verb
  1. To hint; to suggest tacitly (usually something bad) while avoiding a direct statement.
  2. To creep, wind, or flow into; to enter gently, slowly, or imperceptibly, as into crevices.
  3. To ingratiate; to obtain access to or introduce something by subtle, cunning or artful means.
adj
  1. Insinuated.

Pronunciation

/ɪnˈsɪnjueɪt/ en-us-insinuate.ogg en-au-insinuate.ogg

Word forms

insinuate insinuates insinuating insinuated more insinuate most insinuate

Etymology

First attested in 1529; Borrowed from Latin īnsinuātus, perfect passive participle of īnsinuō (“to push in, creep in, steal in”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), from in- (“in”) + sinus (“a winding, bend, bay, fold, bosom”) -ō (verb-forming suffix). Regular participial usage of the adjective up until Early Modern English.

Synonyms

advert allude hint imply indicate inkle insinuate intimate moot refer signify suggest

Related words

insinuation insinuator sinuous

Derived words

insinuatingly insinuatingness insinuative insinuatory uninsinuated
This entry uses open data from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA/GFDL). Word forms are used for search and are not indexed as separate pages.
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