What does "hint" mean?
A clue.
Hint
/hɪnt/ intj, noun, verb
intj, noun, verb ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A clue.
- Grammar: hint is listed as intj, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: clue, suggestion, tip, trace.
- Useful contrasts: russian instruktsiya, absence, abundance.
- Usage evidence: When I didn't know how to answer the question, he gave me a hint.
How to use "hint"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "hint" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "hint" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "hint" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "hint" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "hint" is acting as intj, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "clue" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "hint", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A clue.
"I needed a hint to complete the crossword."
- 2 an indication of potential opportunity wordnet
- 3 An implicit suggestion that avoids a direct statement.
"He gave me a hint that my breath smelt."
- 4 a slight indication wordnet
- 5 A small, barely detectable amount.
"There was a hint of irony in his voice."
Show 6 more definitions
- 6 an indirect suggestion wordnet
- 7 Information in a computer-based font that suggests how the outlines of the font's glyphs should be distorted in order to produce, at specific sizes, a visually appealing pixel-based rendering; an instance of hinting.
"This font does not scale well to small sizes; the hints for the 10-point letter 'g' still need work."
- 8 a just detectable amount wordnet
- 9 An instruction to the database engine as to how a query should be executed, for example whether to use an index or not.
- 10 a slight but appreciable amount wordnet
- 11 An opportunity; occasion; fit time. obsolete
"I, not remembering how I cried out then, / Will cry it o'er again: it is a hint / That wrings mine eyes to't."
Verb
- 1 To imply without a direct statement; to provide a clue. intransitive
"She hinted at the possibility of a recount of the votes."
- 2 drop a hint; intimate by a hint wordnet
- 3 To bring to mind by a slight mention or remote allusion; to suggest in an indirect manner. transitive
"to hint a suspicion"
- 4 To develop and add hints to a font. transitive
"The typographer worked all day on hinting her new font so it would look good on computer screens."
Intj
- 1 Signifies that something previously said should be taken as a hint or heeded closely. often, reduplication
"And yes, as long as you are being a good coder and engaging in safe practices, nothing should go wrong. (Hint, hint.)"
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"When I didn't know how to answer the question, he gave me a hint."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "hint"?
Common synonyms include: clue, suggestion, tip, trace, adjective of evidence, admonishment.
How do you use "hint" in a sentence?
When I didn't know how to answer the question, he gave me a hint.
How do you pronounce "hint"?
Pronounced /hɪnt/.
Etymology
From Middle English hinten, hynten, variant of henten (“to lay hold of, catch”), from Old English hentan (“to seize, grasp”), from Proto-West Germanic *hantijan, from Proto-Germanic *hantijaną. Doublet of hent. Related also to hunt.