Adjacent Words

Insinuating definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

INSIN'UATING, ppr. Creeping or winding in; flowing in; gaining on gently; hinting.
1. Tending to enter gently; insensibly winning favor and confidence.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: calculated to please or gain favor; "a smooth ingratiating manner" [syn: ingratiating, insinuating, ingratiatory]

Merriam Webster's

adjective Date: 1591 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

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Insinuate In*sin"u*ate, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Insinuated; p. pr. & vb. n. Insinuating.] [L. insinuatus, p. p. of insinuareto insinuate; pref. in- in + sinus the bosom. See Sinuous.] 1. To introduce gently or slowly, as by a winding or narrow passage, or a gentle, persistent movement. The water easily insinuates itself into, and placidly distends, the vessels of vegetables. --Woodward. 2. To introduce artfully; to infuse gently; to instill. All the art of rhetoric, besides order and clearness, are for nothing else but to insinuate wrong ideas, move the passions, and thereby mislead the judgment. --Locke. Horace laughs to shame all follies and insinuates virtue, rather by familiar examples than by the severity of precepts. --Dryden. 3. To hint; to suggest by remote allusion; -- often used derogatorily; as, did you mean to insinuate anything? 4. To push or work (one's self), as into favor; to introduce by slow, gentle, or artful means; to ingratiate; -- used reflexively. He insinuated himself into the very good grace of the Duke of Buckingham. --Clarendon. Syn: To instill; hint; suggest; intimate.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Insinuating In*sin"u*a`ting, a. Winding, creeping, or flowing in, quietly or stealthily; suggesting; winning favor and confidence insensibly. --Milton. His address was courteous, and even insinuating. --Prescott.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

If you describe someone's words or voice as insinuating, you mean that they are saying in an indirect way that something bad is the case. Marcus kept making insinuating remarks... ADJ [disapproval]

Moby Thesaurus

adulatory, allusive, allusory, bland, blandishing, blarneying, buttery, cajoling, complimentary, courtierly, courtly, deferential, disarming, fair-spoken, fawning, fine-spoken, flattering, fulsome, gushing, honey-mouthed, honey-tongued, honeyed, implicational, implicative, implicatory, indicative, inferential, insincere, insinuative, insinuatory, ironic, mealymouthed, obsequious, oily, oily-tongued, referential, saccharine, silken, silky, slimy, slobbery, smarmy, smooth, smooth-spoken, smooth-tongued, soapy, soft-soaping, suggestive, sycophantic, unctuous, wheedling