inkling


Also found in: Thesaurus, Idioms, Wikipedia.

in·kling

 (ĭng′klĭng)
n.
1. A slight hint or indication.
2. A slight understanding or vague idea or notion.

[Probably alteration of Middle English (a) ningkiling, (a) hint, suggestion, possibly alteration of nikking, from nikken, to mark a text for correction, from nik, notch, tally, perhaps from variant of Old French niche, niche; see niche.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

inkling

(ˈɪŋklɪŋ)
n
a slight intimation or suggestion; suspicion
[C14: probably from inclen to hint at; related to Old English inca]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

ink•ling

(ˈɪŋk lɪŋ)

n.
1. a slight suggestion; hint; intimation: They gave us no inkling of what was going to happen.
2. a vague idea or notion; slight understanding: I don't have an inkling of how it works.
[1505–15; obsolete inkle to hint (Middle English inklen) + -ing1]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
inkle, inkling - To inkle is to communicate in an undertone or whisper, to give a hint of something, which gives us inkling.
See also related terms for hint.
Farlex Trivia Dictionary. © 2012 Farlex, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun1.inkling - a slight suggestion or vague understanding; "he had no inkling what was about to happen"
suggestion - an idea that is suggested; "the picnic was her suggestion"
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

inkling

noun suspicion, idea, hint, suggestion, notion, indication, whisper, clue, conception, glimmering, intimation, faintest or foggiest idea We had an inkling that something might be happening.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

inkling

noun
A subtle quality underlying or felt to underlie a situation, action, or person:
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
مَعْرِفَه قليلَه، أقل فِكْرَه عن
ponětítušení
anelsemistanke
sejtelem
hugboî
nuvokimas
nojausmapriekšstats

inkling

[ˈɪŋklɪŋ] N (= vague idea) → idea f
I had no inkling thatno tenía ni la menor idea de que ...
we had some inkling of itteníamos una vaga idea
there was no inkling of the disaster to comenadie podía imaginarse el desastre que iba a sobrevenir
to give sb an inkling thatinsinuar a algn que ...
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

inkling

[ˈɪŋklɪŋ] n
to have an inkling of sth → soupçonner qch, se douter de qch
I began to have an inkling of this woman's importance in John's life → Je commençais à me douter de l'importance de cette femme dans la vie de John., Je commençais à soupçonner l'importance de cette femme dans la vie de John.
to have no inkling of sth → n'avoir pas la moindre idée de qch
He had no inkling of the cause of the delay → Il n'avait pas la moindre idée de la cause du retard.
to have an inkling (that) → se douter que
She had an inkling that something was wrong → Elle se doutait que quelque chose n'allait pas.
to have no inkling (that)
We had no inkling that → Rien ne nous laissait supposer que ...
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

inkling

n (= vague idea)dunkle Ahnung; he didn’t have an inklinger hatte nicht die leiseste Ahnung or keinen blassen Schimmer (inf); to give somebody an inklingjdm eine andeutungsweise Vorstellung geben; there was no inkling of the disaster to comenichts deutete auf die bevorstehende Katastrophe hin
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

inkling

[ˈɪŋklɪŋ] n (hint) → indizio; (suspicion, vague idea) → mezza idea
to give sb an inkling that → lasciar capire or intuire a qn che
I had no inkling that → non avevo la minima idea che
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

inkling

(ˈiŋkliŋ) noun
a slight idea or suspicion (about something that is happening). I had no inkling of what was going on until she told me all about it.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
References in classic literature ?
Anyhow, it will give you an inkling of our--mysteries.
I felt the first inkling of a thing that presently grew quite clear in my mind, that oppressed me for many days, a sense of dethronement, a persuasion that I was no longer a master, but an animal among the animals, under the Martian heel.
Never, little Miles--no, never--have you given me an inkling of anything that MAY have happened there.
But no-- I cannot say that I had NEVER foreseen it, for my mind DID get an inkling of what was coming, through my seeing something very similar to it in a dream.
I do not know why I had an inkling that it would appeal to Strickland's sense of humour to bring a furious stockbroker over to Paris on a fool's errand to an ill-famed house in a mean street.
When Charles left Ducie Street he had caught the first train home, but had no inkling of the newest development until late at night.
All this, the blind man accurately marked; and as if his curiosity were strongly awakened, and he had already some inkling of his mystery, he sat watching him, if the expression may be used, and listening, until it was broad day.
In these days Adam Ladd sometimes went to Temperance on business connected with the proposed branch of the railroad familiarly known as the "York and Yank 'em," and while there he gained an inkling of Sunnybrook affairs.
As for me, I began to have an inkling. Ben Gunn's last words came back to my mind.
I had there, put away in a locker, ten thousand francs in gold of whose presence on board, so far as I was aware, not a soul, except Dominic had the slightest inkling. When I emerged on deck again Dominic had turned about and was peering from under his cowl at the coast.
It may appear singular that we should have been thus on our guard with our own shipmates; but there were some among us who, had they possessed the least inkling of our project, would, for a paltry hope of reward, have immediately communicated it to the captain.
Of the existence of the lures and gains upon which the bank is founded and maintained he must profess to have not an inkling. Best of all, he ought to imagine his fellow-gamblers and the rest of the mob which stands trembling over a coin to be equally rich and gentlemanly with himself, and playing solely for recreation and pleasure.