hint

hint — noun

1. an indirect remark or action that reveals your thoughts or desires without stati

1.nounB1
Definition

an indirect remark or action that reveals your thoughts or desires without stating them openly — for example, saying you are thirsty in the hope that someone offers you a drink

Example

Andrew kept dropping hints about wanting a new watch for his birthday.

drop a hint — make an indirect suggestion

Kasia gave us a hint by writing the first letter of each answer.

give a hint — provide an indirect clue

Common collocations
  • drop a hint
  • take a hint
  • give a hint
  • broad hint
  • obvious hint
Synonyms
  • clue

    more concrete; usually points to a puzzle or problem to solve

  • suggestion

    more direct and less cautious than a hint

  • signal

    can be nonverbal and more intentional

Grammar Patterns

hint + about/as to + noun

hint + that-clause

2. a practical suggestion that makes it easier to complete a task — for example, a

2.nounB1
Definition

a practical suggestion that makes it easier to complete a task — for example, a cooking tip that saves time or exam advice that improves your score

Example

Putri's grandmother shared some helpful hints for removing stains from clothes.

helpful hints — practical advice collocation

Vivek read the gardening hints in the magazine before planting his first vegetables.

Common collocations
  • helpful hints
  • useful hints
  • gardening hints
  • cooking hints
  • hints on how to
Synonyms
  • tip

    more casual and common in everyday conversation

  • advice

    more general and often uncountable; hint is countable and more practical

Grammar Patterns

hint + on + noun/noun phrase

hint + for + noun/noun phrase

3. a barely noticeable amount of a quality, flavour, or colour — for example, a hin

3.nounB2
Definition

a barely noticeable amount of a quality, flavour, or colour — for example, a hint of lemon in a cake or a hint of sadness in someone's voice

Example

There was only a hint of chilli in the sauce, so it was not spicy.

a hint of [something] — pattern for a small amount of a quality

The sky showed a hint of pink as the sun rose over the hills.

Common collocations
  • a hint of
  • hint of lemon
  • hint of sadness
  • hint of pink
  • faint hint
  • mere hint
Synonyms
  • trace

    slightly more scientific; common in chemistry or formal descriptions

  • touch

    more casual and often used for amounts of something added

  • dash

    mainly used for small amounts of liquid or food ingredients

Grammar Patterns

a hint of + noun

Usage Note

Always used in the singular with 'a' before it. Followed by 'of' and a noun describing a taste, colour, emotion, or quality. Cannot be used with numbers ('two hints of lemon').

Common Mistakes

The soup had a hint spicy.
The soup had a hint of spice.
'hint' must be followed by 'of' when describing a flavour or quality.

4. a sign of what is likely to come or what a situation truly is — for example, fal

4.nounB2
Definition

a sign of what is likely to come or what a situation truly is — for example, falling sales that point to economic trouble

Example

Falling house prices were the first hint that the local economy was slowing down.

first hint that — pattern for an early signal of something

The children's sudden silence was our first hint that something was wrong.

Common collocations
  • first hint that
  • hint of trouble
  • early hint
  • clear hint
Synonyms
  • sign

    more general and broader in meaning; a hint is more subtle than a sign

  • indication

    more formal and neutral in tone

  • clue

    suggests a problem to solve rather than a future event

Grammar Patterns

a hint + that-clause

Usage Note

Often used with 'first' to mark the earliest indication of a change. Commonly followed by a that-clause explaining what is about to happen.

Idioms

take a/the hint

idiom

To understand what someone wants you to do, even if they do not say it directly.

Maya kept looking at her watch, so I took the hint and left.

Why won't he take a hint and stop calling her every day?

hint — verb

Word family

  • hinted
    adjectiveB2
  • hinting
    nounB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All four verbs describe communicating without a direct statement, but they differ in intention and tone. 'Hint' (B1) is the most neutral and everyday — you give a small, indirect signal, such as mentioning you are hungry so someone offers food. 'Suggest' (A2) is more direct; you put forward an idea openly but still allow the other person to decide. 'Imply' (B2) is more deliberate — the speaker arranges their words so that a conclusion naturally follows, often in a subtle way. 'Insinuate' (C1) carries a negative tone; it means suggesting something unpleasant or damaging indirectly, like hinting that a colleague is dishonest without proof. Example: 'Wei hinted he wanted a ride home' vs 'Wei suggested they take the train' vs 'Wei implied his colleague was not doing his share' vs 'Wei insinuated that his coworker had stolen the money.'

hint ↗imply ↗suggest ↗insinuate

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • a hint of
  • hints and tips
  • take the hint

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishEarly Modern EnglishEnglish

The word 'hint' first appeared in English around the 1600s. It probably comes from an old English word 'hentan', meaning 'to seize' or 'to grasp' — the idea being that a hint is something you mentally 'catch' or 'grasp' even though it is not said directly. Over time it shifted from the physical act of seizing to the mental act of understanding a subtle suggestion.