SYNONYMS AND RELATED EXPRESSIONS
insinuate
verb
To suggest something indirectly, often something unfavorable.
Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.
Suggest indirectly
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topInsinuate often suggests an unfavorable claim made indirectly, without openly accepting responsibility for it.
RELATED FORMS, ONE FEATURED ENTRY
The insinuate family
These forms are closely related, but their grammar and use are not identical. Expand a form to compare its meaning and examples.
insinuationnoun
An indirect suggestion, often one that is insulting or unfavorable.
Indirect adverse suggestion
Closest synonyms
Related expressions
The letter's insinuation of dishonesty needed evidence before it could be treated as a finding.
One neighbor added an insinuation that the gardener wanted the space for private parties, hinting at a selfish motive without stating supporting evidence.
CHECK THE MEANING IN CONTEXT
See insinuate in use
The note seemed to insinuate that someone had hidden the missing key.
Later, a visitor began to insinuate that Celia had lost the venue because the staff disliked her work.
Compare an alternative with the original word in each passage. Shared meanings do not make every pair interchangeable.
Synonym reference scope and sources
The groups distinguish the senses selected for this study entry. Closest synonyms and broader related expressions have separate labels. The listed sources support lexical selection; not every phrase is a direct quotation from a source.
How the synonym reference was prepared / WordNet 3.0 license