intimate

adjective

in·ti·mate | \ ˈin-tə-mət

Definition of intimate

(Entry 1 of 3)

1a : marked by a warm friendship developing through long association intimate friends

b : suggesting informal warmth or privacy intimate clubs

c : engaged in, involving, or marked by sex or sexual relations It must have been a shock for the author to realize—somewhere between contract and completed manuscript—that while Ms. Brickman was intimate with dozens of mobsters, she was close to none of them.— Amy Pagnozzi The father of three children by three women doesn't have a girlfriend and says he hasn't been intimate with anyone in two months.— Michael Silver

2 : of a very personal or private nature intimate secrets

3 : marked by very close association, contact, or familiarity intimate knowledge of the law

4a : intrinsic, essential

b : belonging to or characterizing one's deepest nature

intimate

noun

in·ti·mate | \ ˈin-tə-mət

Definition of intimate (Entry 2 of 3)

: a very close friend or confidant : an intimate friend

intimate

verb

in·ti·mate | \ ˈin-tə-ˌmāt

intimated; intimating

Definition of intimate (Entry 3 of 3)

transitive verb

1 : to communicate delicately and indirectly : hint

2 : to make known especially publicly or formally : announce

Other Words from intimate Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about intimate

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Synonyms & Antonyms for intimate

Synonyms: Adjective

Synonyms: Noun

Synonyms: Verb

Antonyms: Adjective

distant

Antonyms: Noun

enemy,
foe

Choose the Right Synonym for intimate

Verb

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 intimate in a Sentence

Adjective The dining room is plush and intimate, set off by some of the most extravagant floral arrangements in the city. — Thomas Matthews, Wine Spectator, 31 Mar. 2009 When a little-known writer undertakes a manifesto—a statement, after all, of sober purpose and principle—it is likely also to be a cri de coeur, and its reasoned argument will derive from the intimate wounds of autobiography. — Cynthia Ozick, Harper's, April 2007 The company would sit around after dinner in the lavishly plain living room or wander out to the pool for more intimate conversation … — Arthur Miller, Timebends, 1987 They remained intimate friends throughout their lives. They are in an intimate and committed relationship. Noun Musicians … tend not, as writers do, to write hundreds of letters sharing with intimates what is going on in their hearts or heads. — August Kleinzahler, New York Times Book Review, 18 Oct. 2009 She might not mind his assistance, and he was hungering for the company of an intimate to whom he could give and from whom he could receive, and who better in all the world than Nancy? — Philip Roth, Everyman, 2006 So this is a biography rich in information, written in a humble and tasteful way by an intimate whose aim is to put a lot of material at the reader's disposal … — Martha C. Nussbaum, New Republic, 31 Dec. 2001 & 7 Jan. 2002 His coworkers knew him as “Robert,” but his intimates called him “Robbie.” usually quite aloof in public, he's actually quite relaxed with his intimates Verb Is he really—as his advisers keep intimating to Western journalists—a serious reformer waiting to emerge from the closet? — Murray Scot Tanner, Newsweek, 6 May 2002 The dome tops look like pieces of the older ridged plains, intimating that the domes formed when the plains were pushed upward from below. — Robert T. Pappalardo et al., Scientific American, October 1999 He bounded on stage wearing a polo T-shirt and trousers whose sleekness intimated a large American Express bill. — Caroline Sullivan, Times (London), 15 Oct. 1992 trying to intimate that there was more going on than anyone knew

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective The film provides an intimate look at the life of artist Pat Steir, a key figure in the development of Conceptual Abstraction. — Elizabeth Montgomery, The Arizona Republic, "From outdoor stages to new museum exhibitions, here are Phoenix area arts highlights for March," 1 Mar. 2021 The late Nina Simone’s younger brother, Sam Waymon, who played in her band for years, joined our Rolling Stone Music Now podcast for a uniquely intimate look at his legendary sister’s life and music. — Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, "Hear Our Podcast on the Greatness of Nina Simone," 27 Feb. 2021 An intimate look at the life and career of the trailblazing singer, whose defiance through music helped usher in the civil rights movement. — Washington Post, "The United States vs. Billie Holiday," 26 Feb. 2021 The World's a Little Blurry, gives fans an intimate look into the artist's quick rise to fame over the past few years, from her first tastes of celebrity to her Grammy sweep last January. — Carolyn Twersky, Seventeen, "Everything We Learned About Billie Eilish in Her New Documentary "The World's A Little Blurry"," 26 Feb. 2021 From mantras to meditation, mindfulness to manifestation, Well Intentioned offers an intimate look at how to make space for self-care in meaningful ways, big and small. — Celia Ellenberg, Vogue, "Well Intentioned: How Carolyn Murphy Maintains Balance—And Her 20-Year Beauty Contract," 26 Feb. 2021 The play takes an intimate look at isolation through the portraits of two people separated by more than lockdowns and travel restrictions. — oregonlive, "7 things to do this week: Clowns Without Borders, Fleur Barron, and Booklovers Burlesque," 24 Feb. 2021 Extensive access to the Farrows makes this an intimate look at that history, while renewing questions about separating art from the artist and Hollywood's embrace of problematic figures. — Brian Lowry, CNN, "'Allen v. Farrow' renews questions about Woody Allen, and separating art from the artist," 19 Feb. 2021 Exhibit creator Shelli Reeves will present an intimate look at the past and present state of Cleveland’s Glenville neighborhood. — Joan Rusek, cleveland, "Annual Civic Club pancake breakfasts return -- with a ‘COVID edition’ flip: Valley Views," 19 Feb. 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Early on, Harris was an intimate of her state’s unrivaled Black power broker, lawmaker Willie Brown, who showed her California’s political underbelly and its ropes. — Washington Post, "Kamala Harris’s journey: Principles, loyalties and compromises," 15 Jan. 2021 From her makeshift Zoom station at her home in northern Vermont, Kerry O’Brien, founder and designer of the luxury intimates and apparel label Commando, does not come off as someone who's been on lockdown since mid-March. — Amanda Randone, refinery29.com, "Commando CEO Kerry O’Brien Has Advice About Building A Business During A Crisis," 18 May 2020 Drop your watch, keys, or earphones into the smallest size (the mini, $65); store makeup or lotions in the mid size ($95); or drop intimates, socks, or other small clothing items or accessories into the large box ($125). — Madison Flager, Condé Nast Traveler, "Rothy’s New Machine-Washable Cross-Body Is Made to Last," 5 Mar. 2020 Meanwhile, a slew of lingerie and intimates-specific brands have doubled down on their commitment to sustainability. — Alexandra Mondalek, Teen Vogue, "Everything You Need to Know About Sustainable Underwear," 4 Mar. 2020 Evoking French film director Claude Chabrol's 1968 film The Does, a lesbian drama, female models walked the runway together and chatted like intimates in the first looks. — Thomas Adamson, Fortune, "Paris Fashion Week showcases the latest in clothing—and face masks," 3 Mar. 2020 Poem by poem, the revisions of 1972 into 1973 vary in interest, but since each revision of language intimates a revision of thought, none are without significance. — Helen Vendler, Harper's magazine, "Dearest Lizzie," 20 Jan. 2020 Luckily, Walmart is blessing us all with an intimates sale worth talking about. — Dominique Hobdy, Essence, "New Year, New Undies! Update Your Intimates With This Semi-Annual Sale," 6 Jan. 2020 Who among his intimates is left to say that as 2020 is about to dawn? — William Mcdonald, New York Times, "In a Year of Notable Deaths, a World of Women Who Shattered Ceilings," 26 Dec. 2019 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Topics included federal domestic violence policy, addressing domestic violence in family court cases, responding effectively to intimate partner violence and understanding the needs of children exposed to such behavior. — Peggy O’hare, ExpressNews.com, "‘Alarming numbers’ — Spurs guard Patty Mills helps raise awareness of domestic violence in San Antonio," 29 Oct. 2020 The exhibition level will be broken up into boxy, conventional galleries; intimate cul-de-sacs, with only one door, like a chapel; and irregular rooms formed from the negative space in between. — Dana Goodyear, The New Yorker, "The Iconoclast Remaking Los Angeles’s Most Important Museum," 5 Oct. 2020 The video adds another layer to one of Halsey's most personal songs, with a collection of home movies from her childhood and intimate behind-the-scenes footage. — Tyler Aquilina, EW.com, "Halsey marks her birthday with intimate '929' music video featuring lots of home movie footage," 29 Sep. 2020 That phrasing works to intimate that there is another side to Donald Trump—a humane, loving, deep-down decent side. — Jenny Singer, Glamour, "Ivanka Trump Is Trying To Rebrand Donald Trump as a #GirlDad. Girl, No.," 28 Aug. 2020 Several scenes are shot from a cat’s point of view, intimating a roving conscience similar to that in The Cassandra Cat (1963), a Czech film whose feline protagonist is able to see humans’ hidden feelings. — Jeremy Lybarger, The New York Review of Books, "The Mordant Fables of Juraj Herz," 20 Apr. 2020 Manager Ron Roenicke intimated before the game that hitters are too advanced now. — Julian Mcwilliams, BostonGlobe.com, "Nate Eovaldi comes out firing to begin a critical season," 24 Feb. 2020 Though Rondon has closing experience, Hazen intimated that Archie Bradley will have the leg up on closing after finishing 2019 in that role. — Nick Piecoro, azcentral, "Arizona Diamondbacks' Ketel Marte looking likely to return to center field in 2020," 9 Jan. 2020 The pollution watchdog said opening or operation of Covid-19 ward, sample collection centres and laboratories should also be intimated to the State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs). — Mayank Aggarwal, Quartz India, "India now has clear guidelines to deal with coronavirus-related biomedical waste," 25 Mar. 2020

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

History and Etymology for intimate

Adjective and Noun

alteration of obsolete intime, from Latin intimus — see intimate entry 3

Verb

Late Latin intimatus, past participle of intimare to put in, announce, from Latin intimus innermost, superlative of Old Latin *interus inward — more at interior

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