hint

The word “hint” means a small clue or suggestion that helps someone understand or guess something. In plain terms, a small clue you give or notice, or the act of suggesting something without saying it directly.

“Hint” is pronounced hihnt (/hɪnt/ in IPA).

Here is “hint” used in a sentence: “She gave me a hint about what he was getting for his birthday.”

Depending on how it is used, “hint” can be a noun and a verb.

The word “hint” comes from Middle English. From Middle English henten ("to seize, grasp"), related to "hunt.".

“Hint” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B2 level.

“Hint” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a small clue or suggestion that helps someone understand or guess something.

Both help someone reach an answer, but a clue is usually a piece of evidence found in a situation, such as a mystery or a puzzle, while a hint is a small suggestion deliberately given by a person. In short, you find clues, but people drop hints.

The standard collocation is "hint at": "She hinted at major changes." Hint can also be followed directly by a that-clause, as in "He hinted that he might resign"; "hint about" is heard in casual speech, but "hint at" is far more common in edited writing.

To drop a hint is to suggest something indirectly rather than saying it outright, and to take a hint is to notice and act on that indirect suggestion. The second phrase often appears in the negative — "he just can't take a hint" — meaning someone fails to pick up on an obvious signal.