What does "intimate" mean?
A very close friend.
Intimate
/ˈɪn.tɪ.mət/ adj, noun, verb
adj, noun, verb ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A very close friend.
- Grammar: intimate is listed as adj, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: confidant, absolute, acquaintance, acquainted with.
- Useful contrasts: cavernous, distant interaction, distant land.
- Usage evidence: Choose such friends as will benefit you, they say. That is why I am on intimate terms with Mr Aoki.
How to use "intimate"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "intimate" 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 "intimate" 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 "intimate" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "intimate" 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 "intimate" is acting as adj, 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 "confidant" 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 "intimate", 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 very close friend.
"Only a couple of intimates had ever read his writing."
- 2 someone to whom private matters are confided wordnet
- 3 Women's underwear, sleepwear, or lingerie, especially offered for sale in a store.
"You'll find bras and panties in the intimates section upstairs."
Verb
- 1 To suggest or disclose (something) discreetly. ambitransitive
"He intimated that we should leave before the argument escalated."
- 2 give to understand wordnet
- 3 To notify. India, transitive
"I will intimate you when the details are available."
- 4 imply as a possibility wordnet
Adjective
- 1 Closely acquainted; familiar.
"an intimate friend"
- 2 Of or involved in a sexual relationship.
"She enjoyed some intimate time alone with her husband."
- 3 Personal; private.
"an intimate setting"
- 4 Pertaining to details that require great familiarity to know
"The candidate showed an intimate knowledge of the inner workings of politics."
- 5 Very finely mixed.
"Black powder consists of an intimate mixture of potassium nitrate, charcoal, and sulfur."
Adjective
- 1 having mutual interests or affections; of established friendship wordnet
- 2 marked by close acquaintance, association, or familiarity wordnet
- 3 thoroughly acquainted through study or experience wordnet
- 4 having or fostering a warm or friendly and informal atmosphere wordnet
- 5 innermost or essential wordnet
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 concerning things deeply private and personal wordnet
- 7 involved in a sexual relationship wordnet
- 8 used euphemistically to refer to the genitals wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"Choose such friends as will benefit you, they say. That is why I am on intimate terms with Mr Aoki."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "intimate"?
Common synonyms include: confidant, absolute, acquaintance, acquainted with, adumbrate, adumbrate.
How do you use "intimate" in a sentence?
Choose such friends as will benefit you, they say. That is why I am on intimate terms with Mr Aoki.
How do you pronounce "intimate"?
Pronounced /ˈɪn.tɪ.mət/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
Borrowed from Latin intimātus, the perfect passive participle of intimō (“to put or bring into, to impress, to make familiar”) (see -ate (adjective forming suffix)), from intimus (“inmost, innermost, most intimate”), superlative of intus (“within”), from in (“in”); see interior.
Etymology 2
From a substantivization of the above adjective, see -ate (noun-forming suffix) and Etymology 1 for more.
Etymology 3
From Latin intimātus, see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and Etymology 1 for more. Cognate with French intimer.