Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Inner; inmost; intrinsic; pertaining to minute details or particulars: as, the intimate structure of an organism; the intimate principles of a science.
  • Pertaining to the inmost mind; existing in one's inner thoughts or feelings; inward: as, intimate convictions or beliefs; intimate knowledge of a subject.
  • Closely approximating or coalescing; near; familiar: as, intimate relation of parts; intimate union of particles; intimate intercourse.
  • Close in friendship or acquaintance; on very familiar terms; not reserved or distant.
  • Familiarly associated: personal.
  • noun A familiar friend, companion, or guest; one who has close social relations with another or others.
  • To make known, especially in a formal manner; announce.
  • Specifically, to make known by indirect means or words; hint or suggest; indicate; point out.
  • Synonyms Suggest, Insinuate, etc. See hint, transitive verb

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • transitive verb obsolete To announce; to declare; to publish; to communicate; to make known.
  • transitive verb To suggest obscurely or indirectly; to refer to remotely; to give slight notice of; to hint.
  • noun An intimate friend or associate; a confidant.
  • adjective Innermost; inward; internal; deep-seated; hearty.
  • adjective Near; close; direct; thorough; complete.
  • adjective Close in friendship or acquaintance; familiar; confidential.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Closely acquainted; familiar.
  • adjective Of or involved in a sexual relationship.
  • adjective Personal, private.
  • noun A very close friend.
  • noun Women's underwear, sleepwear, or lingerie, especially offered for sale in a store.
  • verb transitive To suggest or disclose discreetly.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective having or fostering a warm or friendly and informal atmosphere
  • verb give to understand
  • adjective thoroughly acquainted through study or experience
  • noun someone to whom private matters are confided
  • adjective innermost or essential
  • verb imply as a possibility
  • adjective marked by close acquaintance, association, or familiarity
  • adjective involved in a sexual relationship
  • adjective having mutual interests or affections; of established friendship

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Latin intimare ("to put or bring into, to impress, to make familiar"), from intimus ("inmost, innermost, most intimate"), superlative of intus ("within"), from in ("in"); see interior.

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Examples

Comments

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  • I will intimate to my intimate.

    January 3, 2010

  • Several example sentences for 'intimate' do not contain the word at all. Please edit this page soon!

    January 21, 2010

  • I've noticed that on quite a number of word pages, but not this one. I wonder if a better place to post it is on feedback's profile...?

    January 21, 2010

  • Here's a sentence to consider adding to the example page:

    intimate (verb)

    The school principal intimated to a teacher who was about to take the stage at the assembly that she had a big piece of snot stuck to her shirt.

    January 21, 2010

  • Not sure what your DEADBEEF is ian. This comment page is where Vordnik users can add examples and that's what you've just done. The intimate word page, like those for other words, is automatically generated from databases. The examples there certainly do contain intimate.

    January 21, 2010

  • o suggest something subtly

    At first Manfred’s teachers intimated to his parents that he was not suited to skip a grade; when his parents protested, teachers explicitly told them that, notwithstanding the boy’s precocity, he was simply too immature to jump to the 6th grade.

    October 11, 2016