insinuate
Definition from Wiktionary, the free dictionary
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English [edit]
Etymology [edit]
From Latin īnsinuō (“to push in, creep in, steal in”), from in (“in”) + sinus (“a winding, bend, bay, fold, bosom”)
Pronunciation [edit]
Verb [edit]
insinuate (third-person singular simple present insinuates, present participle insinuating, simple past and past participle insinuated)
- (rare) to creep, wind, or flow into; to enter gently, slowly, or imperceptibly, as into crevices
- The water insinuated itself into the rock. It became ice, which expanded and cracked large fragments off of the hard stone.
- (figurative of the above) to ingratiate; to obtain access to or introduce something by subtle, cunning or artful means
- 1995, Terry Pratchett, Maskerade, p. 242
- Nanny didn't so much enter places as insinuate herself; she had unconsciously taken a natural talent for liking people and developed it into an occult science.
- 1995, Terry Pratchett, Maskerade, p. 242
- to hint; to suggest tacitly and avoid a direct statement
- She insinuated that her friends had betrayed her.
Synonyms [edit]
- (Make a way for or introduce something by subtle, crafty or artful means.): imply
Related terms [edit]
Translations [edit]
make way for by subtle means
enter gently or imperceptibly
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ingratiate oneself
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hint at (something)
External links [edit]
- insinuate in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
- insinuate in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911
Anagrams [edit]
Italian [edit]
Verb [edit]
insinuate
- second-person plural present indicative of insinuare
- second-person plural imperative of insinuare
- Feminine plural of insinuato
Latin [edit]
Verb [edit]
īnsinuāte
- first-person plural present active imperative of īnsinuō
