Suggesting something indirectly rather than stating it plainly, letting someone figure out what you mean from clues.
From Middle English 'hinte,' possibly from Old Norse or Old German roots meaning to grasp or seize. Evolved to mean grasping at meaning indirectly rather than directly stating it.
Hinting is how humans communicate things they're scared or embarrassed to say directly—it's so common that researchers created an entire study on 'indirect speech acts.' Your parents hinting about chores is actually you learning social negotiation!
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