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ほのめかす Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Common word JLPT N1 Freq. Frequency Top 100,000 Conjugation Meanings 1
godan verb (-su), transitive verb
hint at ; suggest ; imply ; allude to
usually written using kana alone
Used when someone indirectly conveys a meaning, feeling, or intention without stating it outright. Often appears in contexts where the speaker deliberately avoids being explicit.
The article suggests the possibility of corruption.
Written forms ほのめかす Usage 86%
Standard modern spelling. This word is usually written using kana alone.
仄ほの めかす Usage 14%
Kanji spelling using 仄, which is not a jōyō kanji and is rarely used in modern writing. It is usually written in kana.
Kanji 仄 be seen dimly, suggest, intimate Similar words 示し 唆さ する 示唆する is more formal and often used in academic or professional contexts to mean 'suggest' or 'indicate' based on evidence. ほのめかす is more indirect and personal, often implying a deliberate, subtle hint.
匂にお わせる 匂わせる is a casual, modern term for dropping hints, especially about one's feelings or relationship status, often with a slightly manipulative or attention-seeking nuance. ほのめかす is more neutral and can be used in a wider range of situations.
Etymology Derived from the adjective 仄か (ほのか, 'faint, dim') + the verb-forming suffix めかす, which adds a sense of 'to make something appear like' or 'to show signs of'. The combination gives the meaning of making something faintly perceptible or hinting at it.
