hint

hint · noun

imported

Definitions

noun

  1. 1.

    A slight or indirect indication or suggestion.

  2. 2.

    To suggest or indicate indirectly.

  3. 3.

    A small trace or amount.

  4. 4.

    A piece of practical advice or tip.

Forms

plural: hints

Phrases & expressions

  • •
    take the hint — to understand an indirect suggestion
  • •
    drop a hint — to give an indirect suggestion
  • •
    hint at — to suggest indirectly

Related words

Antonyms: declaration, statement
See also: clue, imply, indicate, suggest
Synonyms: clue, indication, inkling, suggestion, tip

Etymology

From obsolete verb "hent" (to seize), from Middle English henten, from Old English hentan ("to pursue"). The sense evolved from "something seized" to "something grasped mentally."