Hint — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun verb /ˈhint/

Meaning & Definition of Hint

Hint (noun)

  1. a statement that expresses indirectly what one prefers not to say explicitly
  2. an indirect or general suggestion for how to do or solve something
  3. a slight indication of the existence, approach, or nature of something, clue

Hint (verb)

  1. to convey indirectly and by allusion rather than explicitly
  2. to give an indirect suggestion or piece of evidence that leads one toward the solution of a problem, to give a hint —usually used with at

Hint (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a slight or indirect pointing to something (as a solution or explanation)

    "can't you give me some hint as to where you're taking me?"

    similar: clue, cue, indication, inkling, intimation, lead, suggestion
    related: breath, flicker, glimmer, glimpse, mention, scent, whiff, wind, hunch, idea, inspiration, notion, allusion, implication, inference, innuendo, insinuation, denotation, evidence, guidepost, key, mark, overtone, pointer, sign, signal, telltale, token, assistance, nod, prompt, tip, tip-off, wink, feeling, foreboding, intuition, premonition, presentiment, suspicion, augury, foreshadower, foretaste, harbinger, omen, portent, prefigurement, presage, symptom
    near: answer, solution

  2. an almost imperceptible sign of something

    "there was the slightest hint of scorn in her voice"

    similar: breath, flicker, glimmer, suggestion, tang, touch, trace, whiff
    related: inkling, intimation, scent, wind, evidence, indication, mark, sign
    near: permeation, pervasion, saturation

  3. a piece of advice or useful information especially from an expert

    "some helpful hints for cleaning carpet stains"

    similar: lead, pointer, tip
    related: advice, advisement, assistance, counsel, guidance, recommendation, suggestion, caution, cautioning, sign, signal, telltale, tip-off, warning, brief, direction, feedback, instruction, observation, prompt, reminder, urging, answer, clue, solution

  4. a very small amount

    "I detect just a hint of mint in the sauce"

    similar: ace, bit, crumb, dab, dram, driblet, glimmer, lick, little, mite, nip, ounce, particle, peanuts, ray, scintilla, scruple, shade, shadow, shred, skosh, smack, smell, smidgen, snap, soupçon, spark, spatter, speck, splash, spot, sprinkling, strain, streak, suspicion, tad, touch, trace, drop in the bucket
    related: hoot, iota, jot, minim, minimum, modicum, semblance, syllable, tittle, vestige, whit, atom, dot, fleck, flyspeck, grain, granule, molecule, morsel, mote, nubbin, patch, scrap, dash, drop, pinch, part, portion, section, bite, nibble, taste, handful, scattering, smatter, smattering, dose, shot, chip, flake, fragment, shard, shiver, sliver, smithereens, splinter, tatter, clipping, paring, shaving
    near: abundance, barrel, boatload, bucket, bundle, bushel, deal, fistful, gobs, heaps, lashings (chiefly British), loads, lot, mass, mess, mountain, much, oodles, passel, peck, pile, plenty, potful, profusion, quantity, raft, reams, scads, stack, wad, wealth, volume, bonanza, embarrassment, excess, overabundance, overage, overflow, overkill, overmuch, oversupply, superabundance, superfluity, surfeit, surplus, chunk, hunk, lump, slab

Hint (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to convey an idea indirectly

    "kept hinting that she wouldn't mind an invitation to spend the weekend at their beach house"

    similar: allude, imply, indicate, infer, insinuate, intimate, suggest
    related: advert, mention, point, refer, signal, signalize, signify, smack (of), smell (of)
    near: announce, declare, proclaim, elucidate, explain, spell out, delineate, describe

Related Entry: Hint (at) (verb)

Hint (at) is a different word from Hint. The synonyms below are for hint (at), not for hint.

  1. as in suggest, indicate

    similar: allude (to), imply, indicate, infer, intend, intimate, suggest, advert (to), cite, drop, instance, mention, name, note, notice, quote, refer (to), specify, touch (on or upon), point (out), signal, signify, denominate, designate, bring up, broach, interject, interpolate, interpose, introduce, infiltrate, insinuate, worm, advertise, announce, broadcast, declare, proclaim, pronounce, publicize, publish, sound, clarify, clear (up), elucidate, explain, explicate, spell out
    opposite: disregard, forget, ignore, neglect, overlook, overpass, pass over, slight

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Hint

The most common words with a similar meaning to Hint:

clue, cue, indication, inkling, intimation, lead, suggestion, breath, flicker, glimmer, tang, touch, trace, whiff, pointer, tip, ace, bit, crumb, dab, dram, driblet, lick, little, mite, nip, ounce, particle, peanuts, ray, scintilla, scruple, shade, shadow, shred, skosh, smack, smell, smidgen, snap

Related Words for Hint

glimpse, mention, scent, wind, hunch, idea, inspiration, notion, allusion, implication, inference, innuendo, insinuation, denotation, evidence, guidepost, key, mark, overtone, sign, signal, telltale, token, assistance, nod, prompt, tip-off, wink, feeling, foreboding

Near Antonyms of Hint

answer, solution, permeation, pervasion, saturation, abundance, barrel, boatload, bucket, bundle, bushel, deal, fistful, gobs, heaps, lashings, loads, lot, mass, mess, mountain, much, oodles, passel, peck, pile, plenty, potful, profusion, quantity

Word Forms of Hint

Inflections: hinted, hinting, hints

Derived words: hinter (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Hint

probably alteration of obsolete hent act of seizing, from hent, verb

First known use: 1604

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Hint

Words & Phrases Containing Hint

hint at, drop a hint, get/take the hint, take a hint

Frequently Asked Questions about Hint

What does "Hint" mean?

"Hint" means a statement that expresses indirectly what one prefers not to say explicitly. As an a noun and a verb, it is defined as: a statement that expresses indirectly what one prefers not to say explicitly. It has 5 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Hint"?

Other words for "Hint" include clue, cue, indication, inkling, intimation, lead, suggestion and breath. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Hint" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Hint"?

There are 175 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Hint". Common alternatives include clue, cue, indication, inkling, intimation, lead, suggestion, breath, flicker and glimmer.

How do you use "Hint" in a sentence?

Examples of "Hint" in a sentence: "can't you give me some hint as to where you're taking me?"; "there was the slightest hint of scorn in her voice"; "some helpful hints for cleaning carpet stains".

Is "Hint" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Hint" can be used as a noun and a verb, depending on the context.

Is "Hint" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a C1-level word, "Hint" is typical of Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE), IELTS band 7.0–8.0, TOEFL iBT 95–113, PTE Academic 76–84, TOEIC Listening & Reading 945+. Advanced words like this are also useful for the GRE, SAT, GMAT, and LSAT.

How do you pronounce "Hint"?

"Hint" is pronounced /ˈhint/.

What is the origin of the word "Hint"?

"Hint" comes from probably alteration of obsolete hent act of seizing, from hent, verb. First known use: 1604.