A Hint Was Originally Something Grasped
A hint is a slight indication. The word comes from an Old English verb meaning to seize.
A hint is a slight or indirect indication. It comes from Old English *hentan*, to seize or grasp, so a hint was originally something caught rather than something dropped — the emphasis was on the receiver, not the giver. The modern sense puts it the other way round. The related verb survives in *hunt*, which is the same root: to hunt is to pursue and seize, and to hint is to offer something the listener must catch.
- A slight indication. *A broad hint.*
- A small amount. *A hint of lemon.*
- To suggest. *He hinted at it.*
- Hunt — the same root. *To hunt.*
- Old English — *hentan*, to seize. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | hint | A hint. |
| Plural | hints | Hints. |
| Verb | hint | Hinting. |
| Past | hinted | Hinted. |
| Related | hunt | To hunt. |
- She took the hint.Suggestion.
- A hint of garlic.Quantity.
- Hentan means to seize.Etymology.
Words for indirect suggestion
- Hint — deliberately slight
- Imply — what the speaker suggests
- Infer — what the listener concludes
- Insinuate — to suggest something unpleasant obliquely
- Intimate — to make known indirectly, from Latin for innermost
From Old English *hentan*, to seize or grasp, the same root as *hunt*.
Are hint and hunt related?
Yes. Both come from an Old English verb meaning to seize. A hint was originally something grasped by the listener.
What is the difference between imply and infer?
A speaker implies. A listener infers. The one puts the suggestion in, the other takes it out.