innuendo

noun

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in·nu·en·do | \ ˌin-yə-ˈwen-(ˌ)dō

, -yü-ˈen- \

plural innuendos or innuendoes

Definition of innuendo

1a : an oblique allusion : hint, insinuation especially : a veiled or equivocal reflection on character or reputation

b : the use of such allusions resorting to innuendo

2 : a parenthetical explanation introduced into the text of a legal document

Synonyms Did You Know? Example Sentences Learn More about innuendo

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Did You Know?

The word innuere in classical Latin meant “to nod, beckon, or make a sign to” a person, and in medieval Latin more generally “to hint” or “to insinuate.” One form of the gerund of this verb was innuendo, which meant “by hinting.” In medieval legal documents innuendo introduced inserted remarks, meaning “to wit” or “that is to say,” and the word was adopted with the same function into English legal usage. By the late 17th century innuendo was used to refer to the insertion itself and more broadly to any indirect suggestion. Later, the notion of the derogatory possibilities of such remarks came to predominate.

Examples of innuendo in a Sentence

His reputation has been damaged by innuendos about his drinking and gambling. His reputation has been damaged by innuendo. The movie relies on sexual innuendo for its humor.

Recent Examples on the Web The song describes a romantic encounter without innuendo. — Charlie Harding And Nate Sloan, Vulture, "Only Lil Nas X Predicted How Much ‘Montero’ Would Outrage the Machine," 30 Apr. 2021 Indeed, the story about Cullors buying homes in Topanga Canyon, Inglewood and suburban Atlanta is filled with innuendo rather than outright accusations of grift. — Los Angeles Times, "Column: There’s a fight over the direction of Black Lives Matter. The timing couldn’t be worse," 14 Apr. 2021 By chance, were there tips about the release of another rerecorded album, specifically 1989, hidden behind layers of innuendo and in-plain-sight clues? — Lars Brandle, Billboard, "Did Taylor Swift Tease the Rerecorded Release of '1989': Swifties Think So," 14 Apr. 2021 Fearful of their phones, people try workarounds by chatting with emojis, GIFs, and innuendo. — Will Cathcart, Wired, "Encryption Has Never Been More Essential—or Threatened," 5 Apr. 2021 Beetles are the largest group of animals on Earth with over 350,000 species, but until that point, no orchid on record had tricked a beetle to pollinate it through innuendo alone. — Theresa Machemer, Smithsonian Magazine, "Extremely Rare Orchid Tricks Horny Beetles Into Carrying Its Pollen," 25 Mar. 2021 Through more than three years of allegations and innuendo about whether head coach Sean Miller would be implicated directly in the corruption that infiltrated the University of Arizona basketball program, the school stood by him. — Dan Wolken, USA TODAY, "Opinion: Time for Arizona to make a decision on Sean Miller's future," 11 Mar. 2021 In May, the New York Times analyzed a week of Trump's Twitter and found that out of 139 posts, 26 contained clearly false claims and 24 more were misleading, lacked context or traded in innuendo. — Nicholas Goldberg And Los Angeles Times, Star Tribune, "I'll miss Trump's tweets, but I'm glad he's gone," 12 Jan. 2021 The tone is right, the innuendo is pitch-perfect, and the observation at the heart of the sketch is painfully apt. — Matthew Love, Vulture, "Saturday Night Live Recap: Dan Levy Scores a Football Hole," 7 Feb. 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'innuendo.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

6 May 2021

Cite this Entry

“Innuendo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/innuendo. Accessed 8 May. 2021.

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More Definitions for innuendo

innuendo

noun

English Language Learners Definition of innuendo

: a statement which indirectly suggests that someone has done something immoral, improper, etc.

See the full definition for innuendo in the English Language Learners Dictionary

innuendo

noun

in·nu·en·do | \ ˌi-nyü-ˈwen-dō

Legal Definition of innuendo

: a parenthetical explanation of the text of a legal document especially : an explanation in a complaint for defamation of the defamatory meaning of a statement by the defendant which is not defamatory on its face — compare inducement

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