noun

inkling

IHNGK-lihng

noun

A slight hint or vague idea about something.

"I had an inkling something was wrong when she stopped answering calls."

"He gave no inkling that he was planning to resign."

How to Use Inkling

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA faint suspicion or slight sense that something is true, before you have real proof.

Common pairings

have an inkling give no inkling the faintest inkling

inklings plural

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I had an _____ something was wrong when she stopped answering calls.

From a Middle English word for a whisper or hint, likely tangled up over time with inkle, "to hint."

tinkling twinkling sprinkling