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This may come as a surprise, but inkling has not a drop to do with ink, whether of squid, tattoo, or any other variety. Originating in English in the early 16th century, inkling comes instead from Middle English yngkiling, meaning “whisper or mention,” and perhaps further back from the verb inclen, meaning “to hint at.” An early sense of the word meant “a faint perceptible sound or undertone” or “rumor,” but now people usually use the word to refer to a vague notion someone has (“had an inkling they would be there”), or to a hint of something present (“a conversation with not even an inkling of anger”). One related word you might not have heard of is the rare verb inkle, a back-formation of inkling that in some British English dialects can mean “to utter or communicate in an undertone or whisper, to hint, give a hint of” or “to have an idea or notion of.” (Inkle is also a noun referring to “a colored linen tape or braid woven on a very narrow loom and used for trimming” but etymologists don’t have an inkling of where that inkle came from.)
Examples of inkling in a Sentence
Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 13 May 2026
Santa Margarita coach Chris Malec might have had an inkling his team would get an at-large berth.
—Steve Fryer, Oc Register, 9 May 2026
Creator, executive producer and showrunner Alexi Hawley may have had an inkling, ending the season on another cliffhanger.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 13 Apr. 2026
Scholtens had an inkling there might be an issue with Boyle when the team told him to remain in his hotel room instead of reporting to Durham.
—John Romano, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for inkling
Cite this Entry
“Inkling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inkling. Accessed 15 May. 2026.
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