intimate

verb in·ti·mate \ ˈin-tə-ˌmāt \

|Updated on: 12 Aug 2018

Tip: Synonym Guide

Examples: intimate in a Sentence

Definition of intimate

intimated; intimating

transitive verb

1 : to make known especially publicly or formally : announce

2 : to communicate delicately and indirectly : hint

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intimater

noun

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intimation

play \ˌin-tə-ˈmā-shən\ noun

See intimate defined for English-language learners

See intimate defined for kids

Examples of intimate in a Sentence

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 of intimate from the Web

But researchers have found many spiral disks that appear to be far below this mass threshold, intimating that another mechanism may be at work.

— joshua sokol, WIRED, "These Spinning Disks of Gas and Dust Reveal How Planets Get Made," 28 May 2018
Lovullo intimated that catcher Alex Avila would be activated from the disabled list and be in the starting lineup on Saturday vs. Padres right-hander Tyson Ross.

— nick piecoro, azcentral, "Diamondbacks outfielder Jon Jay opening eyes with sliding catches," 6 July 2018
Edwards, who hasn’t pitched since May 29 because of inflammation in his right shoulder, might need only one appearance before he’s activated, manager Joe Maddon intimated.

— mark gonzales, chicagotribune.com, "Until Yu Darvish returns, Jose Quintana says he and other Cubs starters will 'have his back'," 29 June 2018
Earlier episodes intimated that after Juliet died, the Man in Black fled to Westworld; Emily then followed him, seeking answers about her mother’s suicide.

— sandra upson, WIRED, "Westworld Recap, Season 2 Episode 9: The Many Lives of the Man in Black," 18 June 2018
In the documentary, Sly intimated that Manning took HGH that had been prescribed for his wife, Ashley, and shipped to her from Guyer Institute.

— jenny green, Indianapolis Star, "5 things we now know about the Al Jazeera-Peyton Manning legal battle," 13 June 2018
Also, the report found that 32% of blacks said they or someone in their family had been threatened or intimated by someone with a gun, compared with 20% of whites and 24% of Hispanics.

— jacqueline howard, CNN, "The disparities in how black and white men die in gun violence, state by state," 23 Apr. 2018
Philip proving to her, physically, that she actually wasn't prepared, as Elizabeth had intimated, for the spy game was important.

— tim goodman, The Hollywood Reporter, "Critics' Conversation: Tim Goodman and Daniel Fienberg on "Powerful" 'Americans' Series Finale," 31 May 2018
Katie Landry-Guyton, the senior service hydrologist at the National Weather Galveston/Houston, also intimated that the Trinity River was due for a recalibration in flooding prediction models because of the sand and silt dumped downstream.

— david taylor, Houston Chronicle, "Trinity River changed by Hurricane Harvey," 22 May 2018

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.

Origin and Etymology of intimate

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1522

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

intimate Synonyms

Synonyms

allude, hint, imply, indicate, infer, insinuate, suggest;

Near Antonyms

announce, declare, proclaim;

elucidate, explain, spell out;

delineate, describe;

smack (of), smell (of);

Synonym Discussion of intimate

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

intimate

adjective in·ti·mate \ ˈin-tə-mət \

Definition of intimate

1 a : intrinsic, essential

b : belonging to or characterizing one's deepest nature

2 : marked by very close association, contact, or familiarity

intimate knowledge of the law

3 a : marked by a warm friendship developing through long association

intimate friends

b : suggesting informal warmth or privacy

intimate clubs

4 : of a very personal or private nature

intimate secrets

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intimately

adverb

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intimateness

noun

See intimate defined for English-language learners

Examples of intimate in a Sentence

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.

Recent Examples of intimate from the Web

Understanding class today means taking in its material, emotional, and ideological reality at scales that are both global and intimate, historical and immediate.

— jedediah purdy, The New Republic, "The Remaking of Class," 27 June 2018
However, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge chose a more intimate venue for Prince George and Louis's christenings by selecting the Chapel Royal at St. James's Palace in London.

— caroline picard, Good Housekeeping, "Prince Louis's Christening Details: The Date, Venue, and What We Know About His Godparents," 20 June 2018
At once brazen, confrontational, and disarmingly intimate, soil steps out of blisters’ softer surfaces into territory that feels strikingly visceral.

— devon maloney, The Verge, "If serpentwithfeet is the future of music, maybe humanity will win after all," 8 June 2018
Take a look at the intimate, behind-the-scenes photo diary above to catch a glimpse of Jackson’s meticulous pre-show beauty routine, which includes lots of lashes, a sweeping black cat-eye, and the quest for that elusive perfect brow.

— rachel hahn, Vogue, "Janet Jackson Shares an Intimate Beauty Diary of Her First TV Performance in 9 Years," 23 May 2018
The new songs are by turns epic and intimate, but mostly epic.

— andy hermann, Los Angeles Magazine, "Taylor Swift’s Reputation Tour Isn’t a Disaster—It’s a Victory Lap," 21 May 2018
For both Cuchna and listeners, mining his work is a more intimate, yet far-reaching, endeavor.

— hannah giorgis, The Atlantic, "Is It Futile to 'Dissect' Frank Ocean's Work?," 17 May 2018
The 350-page memoir, half in prose and half in color drawings, is a vivid, at times intimate, portrait of a changing China.

— jingnan peng, The Christian Science Monitor, "'Our Story' offers a graphic glimpse of a China that no longer exists," 17 May 2018
In recent years, Tangled String Studios at Lowe Mill emerged as one of Alabama's premier intimate music venues.

— matt wake, AL.com, "Is Huntsville's music landscape set for radical change?," 20 Apr. 2018

Origin and Etymology of intimate

alteration of obsolete intime, from Latin intimus — see ¹intimate

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: circa 1632

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

intimate Synonyms

intimate

noun in·ti·mate \ ˈin-tə-mət \

Definition of intimate

: a very close friend or confidant : an intimate friend

See intimate defined for English-language learners

Examples of intimate in a Sentence

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