hint

1 of 2

noun

1
a
: a statement that expresses indirectly what one prefers not to say explicitly
had been dropping hints that he would like to be invited
b
: an indirect or general suggestion for how to do or solve something
helpful hints for inexperienced cooks
can't tell you the answer but can give you a hint
2
: a slight indication of the existence, approach, or nature of something : clue
gave only a hint of what was to come
3
: a very small amount : suggestion
with just a hint of spice
4
archaic : opportunity, turn

hint

2 of 2

verb

hinted; hinting; hints

transitive verb

: to convey indirectly and by allusion rather than explicitly
a suspicion that she scarcely dared to hint

intransitive verb

: to give an indirect suggestion or piece of evidence that leads one toward the solution of a problem : to give a hint
usually used with at
hint at the answer
hinter noun
Choose the Right Synonym for hint

suggest, imply, hint, intimate, insinuate mean to convey an idea indirectly.

suggest may stress putting into the mind by association of ideas, awakening of a desire, or initiating a train of thought.

a film title that suggests its subject matter

imply is close to suggest but may indicate a more definite or logical relation of the unexpressed idea to the expressed.

measures implying that bankruptcy was imminent

hint implies the use of slight or remote suggestion with a minimum of overt statement.

hinted that she might get the job

intimate stresses delicacy of suggestion without connoting any lack of candor.

intimates that there is more to the situation than meets the eye

insinuate applies to the conveying of a usually unpleasant idea in a sly underhanded manner.

insinuated that there were shady dealings

Examples of hint in a Sentence

Noun Her face gave me a hint of what she was thinking. “I have a lot of work to do.” “OK, I'll leave. I can take a hint.” The sauce has a subtle hint of garlic. He had a hint of a German accent. They'll betray you at the first hint of trouble. Verb I keep hinting, but she's not catching on. I think I need to be more direct. The boss hinted about possible layoffs.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
By Zoë Schlanger The smallest hint of frustration had crept into John Kerry’s voice. Zoë Schlanger, The Atlantic, 4 Mar. 2024 Stapleton’s vocals were tender one moment, gritty and blues-drenched the next, rising from a deep growl to a falsetto swoop without a hint of affectation. George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Mar. 2024 The first hint of something unusual was a discrepancy between observations made by the Green Bank Telescope (GBT) and the Nançay Radio Telescope in France as part of a coordinated survey of faint galaxies. Mark Zastrow, Discover Magazine, 1 Mar. 2024 Online investigators are also attempting to get hints about Swift’s upcoming album by comparing things as seemingly random as her song titles to her red-carpet outfits. Stephanie McNeal, Glamour, 29 Feb. 2024 This creamier take on magenta has a hint of purple to create a unique fusion for your nails. Wendy Vazquez, Southern Living, 28 Feb. 2024 The ball rolled around the rim before falling in, a hint that maybe things would spin in the visitor’s favor. Darren Sabedra, The Mercury News, 28 Feb. 2024 An opening sequence set — though not obviously established — in Abidjan has both witty promise and stray hints of the off-form filmmaking to come. Guy Lodge, Variety, 21 Feb. 2024 The lip oil will instantly moisturize your lips and give you a gentle hint of color. Hyphensocial Contributors, Rolling Stone, 21 Feb. 2024
Verb
Polls have hinted that Porter and Garvey will be battling it out for the number two spot in the primaries. Kyler Alvord, Peoplemag, 2 Mar. 2024 Putin has hinted before of Russia’s readiness to use its nuclear weapons, but Thursday’s warning was unusually sharp. Robyn Dixon, Washington Post, 29 Feb. 2024 But most common respiratory viruses that are transmitted between children faded away almost entirely, and Kawasaki disease did not — in fact, the number of children under 12 months with Kawasaki disease did not change much at all, hinting that some exposure inside homes continued to affect infants. Emily Baumgaertner Ariana Drehsler, New York Times, 27 Feb. 2024 The idea seems absurd to anyone with a global perspective, but the above bullet points hint why Trump’s voters feel under attack, their freedoms slipping away. Rich Karlgaard, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024 Recent national data has hinted to the beginning of a pullback in spending by Americans. Samantha Delouya, CNN, 26 Feb. 2024 Authorities hinting that their could more victims indicates other charges could be on the horizon for Maurad-Avecillas. Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 26 Feb. 2024 In a 2019 interview with NME, Joseph hinted that the follow-up to 2018’s Trench album — the pop-leaning Scaled and Icy, which had not yet been announced at the time — would continue the sci-fi-like rebel saga. Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 23 Feb. 2024 Recent studies have hinted that the drug might slightly reduce opioid dependency rates, although this, too, is disputed. Jesse Greenspan, Scientific American, 20 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hint.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

probably alteration of obsolete hent act of seizing, from hent, verb

First Known Use

Noun

1604, in the meaning defined at sense 4

Verb

1648, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of hint was in 1604

Dictionary Entries Near hint

Cite this Entry

“Hint.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hint. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

hint

1 of 2 noun
1
: a slight mention : a suggestion or reminder
a hint of winter in the air
2
: a slight indication of the existence or nature of something : clue
3
: a very small amount : trace
a hint of garlic

hint

2 of 2 verb
: to bring to mind by or give a hint
hinter noun

More from Merriam-Webster on hint

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!