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Imply: meaning, pronunciation and examples
Imply verb. To suggest something without saying it outright.
How to say it
im-PLY/ɪmˈplʌɪ/
2 syllables, stressed on the second (PLY). Forms: implying, implied.
Imply in a sentence
Are you implying that I ate the last biscuit?
Her silence implied that she disagreed.
Similar and opposite
Similar:
- suggest
- hint
- insinuate
- signal
Opposite:
- state
- declare
Usage note
The speaker implies; the listener infers. If you drop a hint, you imply something; if someone works it out from your hint, they infer it.
Don’t confuse with infer
infer (verb): To work something out from evidence or hints rather than being told it directly.
Where imply comes from
From Old French emplier, from Latin implicare, to fold in or entwine.
Test yourself
Which word fills the gap?
Her silence _____ that she disagreed.
- imply
- flaunt
- apprise
Show the answer
imply: Her silence implied that she disagreed.