SYNONYMS AND RELATED EXPRESSIONS
intimate
verb
To make something known indirectly or discreetly.
Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.
Make known indirectly
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topAs a verb, intimate conveys something indirectly. The adjective intimate has different meanings.
CHECK THE MEANING IN CONTEXT
See intimate in use
The director would only intimate that another proposal was being considered.
In a second scene, a traveler said the cafe had become much quieter since the manager's brother left, giving the remark an overtone of relief. Jo intended the line to intimate a family disagreement without explaining its entire history.
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