What does “insinuate” mean?
- 1
verbto suggest something unpleasant indirectly, without saying it clearly
Are you insinuating that I lied?
- 2
verbto gradually and cleverly get yourself into a position or relationship
He insinuated himself into the director’s inner circle.
Insinuate at a glance
- Part of speech
- verb
- CEFR level
- C2 (proficient)
- Pronunciation
- /ɪnˈsɪnjuˌeɪt/ · in-SIN-yoo-ayt
How to use “insinuate” correctly
Always negative: you insinuate something unpleasant or unfair. For neutral hints, use “imply” or “suggest”.
Common phrases with “insinuate”
- insinuate that
- insinuate yourself into
Synonyms, opposites and related words
Synonyms (similar meaning)
- imply
- hint
- suggest
Word family
- insinuation
“insinuate” is on these word lists
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