adj
Meaning 1
Insinuated.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
insinuate
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
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Received-Pronunciation, US: /ɪnˈsɪnjueɪt/
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US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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CMU ARPABET: IH2 N S IH1 N Y UW0 EY0 T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
verb
Meaning 2
To hint; to suggest tacitly (usually something bad) while avoiding a direct statement.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
- She insinuated that her friends had betrayed her.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: advert, allude, hint, imply, indicate, inkle, insinuate, intimate, moot, refer, signify, suggest
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 3
To creep, wind, or flow into; to enter gently, slowly, or imperceptibly, as into crevices.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: rare
Examples
- 1728-1729, John Woodward, An Attempt towards a Natural History of the Fossils of England Water will insinuate itself into Flints through certain imperceptible Cracks
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 4
To ingratiate; to obtain access to or introduce something by subtle, cunning or artful means.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: broadly, figuratively
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 5
give to understand
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- I insinuated that I did not like his wife
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: intimate, adumbrate
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: hint, suggest
verb
Meaning 6
introduce or insert (oneself) in a subtle manner
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- He insinuated himself into the conversation of the people at the nearby table
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: bring in, introduce
History
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.
Across languages
Translations
53 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Arabic: لَمَّحَ (lammaḥa) — hint at (something)
- Arabic: أَلْمَحَ (ʔalmaḥa) — hint at (something)
- Arabic: أَشَارَ (ʔašāra) — hint at (something)
- Bulgarian: намеквам (namekvam) — hint at (something)
- Bulgarian: намекна (namekna) — hint at (something)
- Catalan: insinuar — hint at (something)
- Chinese Mandarin: 影射 (yǐngshè) — hint at (something)
- Czech: naznačit — hint at (something)
- Czech: naznačovat — hint at (something)
- Dutch: insinueren — hint at (something)
- Finnish: vihjata — hint at (something)
- French: insinuer — hint at (something)
- German: andeuten — hint at (something)
- German: unterstellen — hint at (something)
- German: insinuieren — hint at (something)
- Greek: υπονοώ (yponoó) — hint at (something)
- Greek: υπαινίσσομαι (ypainíssomai) — hint at (something)
- Polish: insynuować — hint at (something)
- Portuguese: insinuar — hint at (something)
- Russian: намека́ть (namekátʹ) — hint at (something)
- Spanish: insinuar — hint at (something)
- Swedish: insinuera — hint at (something)
- Tagalog: iparinig — hint at (something)
- Tagalog: magparinig — hint at (something)
- Tagalog: paringgan — hint at (something)
- Ukrainian: натяка́ти (natjakáty) — hint at (something)
- Ukrainian: натякну́ти (natjaknúty) — hint at (something)
- Arabic: تسحّب — creep or wind into, to enter gently
- Arabic: تسلل — creep or wind into, to enter gently
- Bulgarian: прокрадвам се (prokradvam se) — creep or wind into, to enter gently
- Bulgarian: прокрадна се (prokradna se) — creep or wind into, to enter gently
- Bulgarian: промъквам се (promǎkvam se) — creep or wind into, to enter gently
- Bulgarian: промъкна се (promǎkna se) — creep or wind into, to enter gently
- Finnish: tihkua — creep or wind into, to enter gently
- Finnish: hivuttautua — creep or wind into, to enter gently
- Italian: insinuare — creep or wind into, to enter gently
- Arabic: اِنْدَسّ (indass) — ingratiate oneself
- Bulgarian: внушавам (vnušavam) — ingratiate oneself
- Bulgarian: внуша (vnuša) — ingratiate oneself
- Bulgarian: насаждам (nasaždam) — ingratiate oneself
- Bulgarian: насадя (nasadja) — ingratiate oneself
- Bulgarian: внедрявам (vnedrjavam) — ingratiate oneself
- Bulgarian: внедря (vnedrja) — ingratiate oneself
- Czech: vetřít se — ingratiate oneself
- Czech: vlichotit se — ingratiate oneself
- Czech: protlačit se — ingratiate oneself
- Finnish: mielistellä — ingratiate oneself
- French: insinuer — ingratiate oneself
- German: sich einschmeicheln — ingratiate oneself
- German: sich einschleichen — ingratiate oneself
- Polish: przypochlebiać się — ingratiate oneself
- Russian: заи́скивать пе́ред (zaískivatʹ péred) — ingratiate oneself
- Russian: сниска́ть ми́лость — ingratiate oneself