insinuating

adjective

in·​sin·​u·​at·​ing in-ˈsin-yə-ˌwā-tiŋ How to pronounce insinuating (audio)
-yü-ˌā-
1
: winning favor and confidence by imperceptible degrees : ingratiating
2
: tending gradually to cause doubt, distrust, or change of outlook often in a slyly subtle manner
insinuating remarks
insinuatingly adverb

Examples of insinuating in a Sentence

the fortune hunter's insinuating attentions were having their intended effect on the naive heiress
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In the process, the day-to-day nightmare of Dana’s new reality gets lost, even if the more insinuating discomfort of her present-day reality has been enhanced. Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Dec. 2022 The complaint says that since at least early 2021, McKillips had been posting messages insinuating or explicitly threatening to harm the government or federal agents. Marlene Lenthang, NBC News, 2 Nov. 2022 But Johnson’s pieces were intimate and insinuating, not imposing, rarely much larger than a comic book and easily overlooked. Vince Aletti, The New Yorker, 22 July 2022 The only sparks in the evening came from countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo (Dionysus/Dracula), who commanded attention at every appearance with his insinuating, chromatic vocal line and some spectacular costumes by Chrisi Karvonides-Dushenko. Heidi Waleson, WSJ, 10 Aug. 2021 The Harptones had Willie Winfield, a tenor vocalist with immaculate pitch and an insinuating way with a phrase, and Raoul Cita, a gifted vocal arranger who made sure the group's voicings were always distinctive. Richard Sandomir, New York Times, 3 Aug. 2021

Word History

First Known Use

1591, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of insinuating was in 1591

Dictionary Entries Near insinuating

Cite this Entry

“Insinuating.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/insinuating. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on insinuating

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!