insinuate

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insinuate

hint, suggest, imply, introduce artfully: Did you mean to insinuate that I am wrong?

Not to be confused with:

incinerate – burn up, reduce to ashes: incinerate the evidence

insinuate

to hint at: She insinuated that they were having an affair.; to instill subtly or slyly, as into the mind: to insinuate doubts; inject, inculcate

Not to be confused with:

intimate – to indicate or make known indirectly: She intimated that they were married.

in·sin·u·ate

(ĭn-sĭn′yo͞o-āt′)

v. in·sin·u·at·ed, in·sin·u·at·ing, in·sin·u·ates

v.tr.

1. To express or otherwise convey (a thought, for example) in an indirect or insidious way. See Synonyms at suggest.

a. To maneuver or insert (oneself) into a place: "One of the boys insinuated himself next to me and squeezed my hand" (Caroline Preston).

b. To cause (oneself) to be involved or accepted by subtle and artful means: insinuated himself into court intrigues; insinuated herself into my good graces.

v.intr.

To make insinuations.

[Latin īnsinuāre, īnsinuāt- : in-, in; see in-² + sinuāre, to curve (from sinus, curve).]

in·sin′u·a′tive adj.

in·sin′u·a′tor n.

in·sin′u·a·tor′y (-yo͞o-ə-tôr′ē) adj.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

insinuate

(ɪnˈsɪnjʊˌeɪt)

1. (may take a clause as object) to suggest by indirect allusion, hints, innuendo, etc

2. (tr) to introduce subtly or deviously

3. (tr) to cause (someone, esp oneself) to be accepted by gradual approaches or manoeuvres

[C16: from Latin insinuāre to wind one's way into, from in-² + sinus curve]

inˈsinuative, inˈsinuatory adj

inˈsinuˌator n

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

in•sin•u•ate

(ɪnˈsɪn yuˌeɪt)

v. -at•ed, -at•ing. v.t.

1. to suggest or hint slyly: He insinuated that they were lying.

2. to instill or infuse subtly or artfully, as into the mind: to insinuate doubt.

3. to bring or introduce into a position or relation by indirect or artful methods: to insinuate oneself into favor.

v.i.

4. to make insinuations.

[1520–30; < Latin insinuāre to work in, instill. See in-², sinus, -ate¹]

in•sin′u•a`tive (-ˈsɪn yuˌeɪ tɪv, -yu ə-) in•sin′u•a•to`ry (-ˌtɔr i, -ˌtoʊr i) adj.

in•sin′u•a`tive•ly, adv.

in•sin′u•a`tor, n.

syn: See hint.

insinuate

Past participle: insinuated
Gerund: insinuating

Imperative
insinuate
insinuate

Present
I insinuate
you insinuate
he/she/it insinuates
we insinuate
you insinuate
they insinuate

Preterite
I insinuated
you insinuated
he/she/it insinuated
we insinuated
you insinuated
they insinuated

Present Continuous
I am insinuating
you are insinuating
he/she/it is insinuating
we are insinuating
you are insinuating
they are insinuating

Present Perfect
I have insinuated
you have insinuated
he/she/it has insinuated
we have insinuated
you have insinuated
they have insinuated

Past Continuous
I was insinuating
you were insinuating
he/she/it was insinuating
we were insinuating
you were insinuating
they were insinuating

Past Perfect
I had insinuated
you had insinuated
he/she/it had insinuated
we had insinuated
you had insinuated
they had insinuated

Future
I will insinuate
you will insinuate
he/she/it will insinuate
we will insinuate
you will insinuate
they will insinuate

Future Perfect
I will have insinuated
you will have insinuated
he/she/it will have insinuated
we will have insinuated
you will have insinuated
they will have insinuated

Future Continuous
I will be insinuating
you will be insinuating
he/she/it will be insinuating
we will be insinuating
you will be insinuating
they will be insinuating

Present Perfect Continuous
I have been insinuating
you have been insinuating
he/she/it has been insinuating
we have been insinuating
you have been insinuating
they have been insinuating

Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been insinuating
you will have been insinuating
he/she/it will have been insinuating
we will have been insinuating
you will have been insinuating
they will have been insinuating

Past Perfect Continuous
I had been insinuating
you had been insinuating
he/she/it had been insinuating
we had been insinuating
you had been insinuating
they had been insinuating

Conditional
I would insinuate
you would insinuate
he/she/it would insinuate
we would insinuate
you would insinuate
they would insinuate

Past Conditional
I would have insinuated
you would have insinuated
he/she/it would have insinuated
we would have insinuated
you would have insinuated
they would have insinuated

Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Verb	1.	insinuate - introduce or insert (oneself) in a subtle manner; "He insinuated himself into the conversation of the people at the nearby table" bring in, introduce - bring in a new person or object into a familiar environment; "He brought in a new judge"; "The new secretary introduced a nasty rumor"
	2.	insinuate - give to understand; "I insinuated that I did not like his wife" intimate, adumbrate hint, suggest - drop a hint; intimate by a hint

insinuate

verb imply, suggest, hint, indicate, intimate, allude The article insinuated that the President was lying.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

insinuate

verb

1. To introduce gradually and slyly:

edge, foist, infiltrate, wind, work, worm.

2. To convey an idea by indirect, subtle means:

hint, imply, intimate, suggest.

Idiom: drop a hint.

Translations

andeuten anspielen einblasen einschmeichelninsinuieren

υπαινίσσομαι

insinuar

insinuer

insinuare insinuarsi insinuazione

insynuowaćprzypochlebiać się

insinuate

[ɪnˈsɪnjʊeɪt] VT

1. [+ object] → introducir (into en) to insinuate o.s. into sth → introducirse en algo
to insinuate o.s. into sb's favour → ganarse el favor de algn

2. (= hint) → insinuar
to insinuate that → insinuar que, dar a entender que
what are you insinuating? → ¿qué insinúas?

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

insinuate

[ɪnˈsɪnjueɪt] vt

(= imply) → insinuer
What are you insinuating? → Qu'est-ce que tu insinues?
to insinuate (that) → insinuer que

to insinuate o.s. into sth → s'insinuer dans qch
He gradually insinuated himself into her life → Il s'insinua graduellement dans sa vie.

insinuate

(= hint, suggest) → andeuten (sth to sb etw jdm gegenüber); what are you insinuating? → was wollen Sie damit sagen?; are you insinuating that I am lying? → willst du damit sagen, dass ich lüge?

to insinuate oneself into somebody’s favour (Brit) or favor (US) /the smart set → sich bei jdm/bei der Schickeria einschmeicheln

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

insinuate

[ɪnˈsɪnjʊˌeɪt] vt → insinuare
to insinuate o.s. into sb's favour → insinuarsi nelle grazie di qn

Mentioned in ?

References in classic literature ?

"Do you insinuate, then, that I am a traitor?" Granet asked fiercely.

View in context

'Haven't you heard her say, over and over again, that on this account she wished to spare me a great deal of trouble, which she thinks I am not suited for, and which I really don't know myself that I AM suited for; and isn't she up early and late, and going to and fro continually - and doesn't she do all sorts of things, and grope into all sorts of places, coal-holes and pantries and I don't know where, that can't be very agreeable - and do you mean to insinuate that there is not a sort of devotion in that?'

You WILL insinuate. I said, at the moment, that I understood you, and you see I did.

View in context

'But don't trespass too far on my indulgence--don't insinuate again that a woman who is good enough (if she died this night) to go to heaven, is not good enough to be my nephew's wife.'

However she might personally suffer, whatever might be the sacrifice of her own feelings--observe how artfully this was put, to insinuate that she was herself in love with him!--she could not accept from Mr.

View in context

Some have in readiness so many tales and stories, as there is nothing they would insinuate, but they can wrap it into a tale; which serveth both to keep themselves more in guard, and to make others carry it with more pleasure.

View in context

We will leave Danglars struggling with the demon of hatred, and endeavoring to insinuate in the ear of the shipowner some evil suspicions against his comrade, and follow Dantes, who, after having traversed La Canebiere, took the Rue de Noailles, and entering a small house, on the left of the Allees de Meillan, rapidly ascended four flights of a dark staircase, holding the baluster with one hand, while with the other he repressed the beatings of his heart, and paused before a half-open door, from which he could see the whole of a small room.

View in context

'Suppose I so repeated it to Mr Boffin, as to insinuate that my sensitive delicacy and honour--'

'--As to insinuate that OUR sensitive delicacy and honour,' she resumed, with a bitter stress upon the phrase, 'would not allow us to be silent parties to so mercenary and designing a speculation on the Secretary's part, and so gross a breach of faith towards his confiding employer.

View in context

This was greeted with an irreverent laugh, and the youth blushed deeply, and tried to look as if he had meant to insinuate what knowing people called a "double entendre."

View in context

If the history of Polly's girlish experiences suggests a hint or insinuates a lesson, I shall feel that, in spite of many obstacles, I have not entirely neglected my duty toward the little men and women, for whom it is an honor and a pleasure to write, since in them I have always found my kindest patrons, gentlest critics, warmest friends.

View in context

Gently he insinuates his vast bulk among them again and revels there awhile, still in tantalizing vicinity to young Lothario, like pious Solomon devoutly worshipping among his thousand concubines.