Hints — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb noun /ˈhint/

Meaning & Definition of Hints

Hints (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
  3. to talk about (something) in an indirect way

Hints (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

Hints (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: clues, cues, indications, inklings, intimations, leads, suggestions
    related: breaths, flickers, glimmers, glimpses, mentions, scents, whiffs, winds, hunches, ideas, inspirations, notions, allusions, implications, inferences, innuendos, insinuations, denotations, evidences, guideposts, keys, marks, overtones, pointers, signals, signs, telltales, tokens, assistances, nods, prompts, tip-offs, tips, winks, feelings, forebodings, intuitions, premonitions, presentiments, suspicions, auguries, foreshadowers, foretastes, harbingers, omens, portents, prefigurements, presages, symptoms
    near: answers, solutions

  2. an almost imperceptible sign of something

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

    similar: breaths, flickers, glimmers, suggestions, tangs, touches, traces, whiffs
    related: inklings, intimations, scents, winds, evidences, indications, marks, signs
    near: permeations, pervasions, saturations

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

    "some helpful hints for cleaning carpet stains"

    similar: leads, pointers, tips
    related: advice, advisements, assistances, counsel, guidance, recommendations, suggestions, cautions, signals, signs, telltales, tip-offs, warnings, briefs, directions, feedback, instructions, observations, prompts, reminders, urgings, answers, clues, solutions

  4. a very small amount

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

    similar: aces, bits, crumbs, dabs, drams, driblets, glimmers, licks, little, mites, nips, ounces, particles, peanuts, rays, scintillas, scruples, shades, shadows, shreds, skoshes, smacks, smells, smidgens, snaps, soupçons, sparks, spatters, specks, splashes, spots, sprinklings, strains, streaks, suspicions, touches, traces, drops in the bucket
    related: hoots, iotas, jots, minima, minims, modicums, semblances, syllables, tittles, vestiges, whits, atoms, dots, flecks, flyspecks, grains, granules, molecules, morsels, motes, nubbins, patches, scraps, dashes, drops, pinches, parts, portions, sections, bites, nibbles, tastes, handfuls, scatterings, smatterings, smatters, doses, shots, chips, flakes, fragments, shards, shivers, slivers, smithereens, splinters, tatters, clippings, parings, shavings
    near: abundances, barrels, boatloads, buckets, bundles, bushels, deals, fistfuls, gobs, heaps, lashings (chiefly British), loads, lots, masses, messes, mountains, much, oodles, passels, pecks, piles, plenties, potfuls, profusions, quantities, rafts, reams, scads, stacks, wads, wealths, volumes, bonanzas, embarrassments, excesses, overabundances, overages, overflows, overkills, overmuch, oversupplies, superabundances, superfluities, surfeits, surpluses, chunks, hunks, lumps, slabs

Hints (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: alludes, implies, indicates, infers, insinuates, intimates, suggests
    related: adverts, mentions, points, refers, signalizes, signals, signifies, smacks (of), smells (of)
    near: announces, declares, proclaims, elucidates, explains, spells out, delineates, describes

Related Entry: Hint (noun)

Hint is a different word from Hints. The synonyms below are for hint, not for hints.

  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

Related Entry: Hint (verb)

Hint is a different word from Hints. The synonyms below are for hint, not for hints.

  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: Hints (at) (verb)

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

  1. as in suggests, indicates

    similar: alludes (to), implies, indicates, infers, intends, intimates, suggests, adverts (to), cites, drops, instances, mentions, names, notes, notices, quotes, refers (to), specifies, touches (on or upon), points (out), signals, signifies, denominates, designates, brings up, broaches, interjects, interpolates, interposes, introduces, infiltrates, insinuates, worms, advertises, announces, broadcasts, declares, proclaims, pronounces, publicizes, publishes, sounds, clarifies, clears (up), elucidates, explains, explicates, spells out
    opposite: disregards, forgets, ignores, neglects, overlooks, overpasses, passes over, slights

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Hints

The most common words with a similar meaning to Hints:

clues, cues, indications, inklings, intimations, leads, suggestions, breaths, flickers, glimmers, tangs, touches, traces, whiffs, pointers, tips, aces, bits, crumbs, dabs, drams, driblets, licks, little, mites, nips, ounces, particles, peanuts, rays, scintillas, scruples, shades, shadows, shreds, skoshes, smacks, smells, smidgens, snaps

Related Words for Hints

glimpses, mentions, scents, winds, hunches, ideas, inspirations, notions, allusions, implications, inferences, innuendos, insinuations, denotations, evidences, guideposts, keys, marks, overtones, signals, signs, telltales, tokens, assistances, nods, prompts, tip-offs, winks, feelings, forebodings

Near Antonyms of Hints

answers, solutions, permeations, pervasions, saturations, abundances, barrels, boatloads, buckets, bundles, bushels, deals, fistfuls, gobs, heaps, lashings, loads, lots, masses, messes, mountains, much, oodles, passels, pecks, piles, plenties, potfuls, profusions, quantities

Word Forms of Hints

Inflections: hinted, hinting, hinted at, hinting at, hints at

Derived words: hinter (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Hints

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

First known use: 1648t

Frequently Asked Questions about Hints

What does "Hints" mean?

"Hints" means to convey indirectly and by allusion rather than explicitly. As an a verb and a noun, it is defined as: to convey indirectly and by allusion rather than explicitly. It has 5 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Hints"?

Other words for "Hints" include clues, cues, indications, inklings, intimations, leads, suggestions and breaths. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Hints" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Hints"?

There are 173 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Hints". Common alternatives include clues, cues, indications, inklings, intimations, leads, suggestions, breaths, flickers and glimmers.

How do you use "Hints" in a sentence?

Examples of "Hints" 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 "Hints" a noun, verb, or adjective?

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

How do you pronounce "Hints"?

"Hints" is pronounced /ˈhint/.

What is the origin of the word "Hints"?

"Hints" comes from probably alteration of obsolete hent act of seizing, from hent, verb. First known use: 1648t.

What is another word for "Hints" meaning "a slight or indirect pointing to something (as a solution or explanation)"?

When "Hints" (noun) means a slight or indirect pointing to something (as a solution or explanation), synonyms include clues, cues, indications, inklings, intimations and leads.