innuendo
innuendo Lexical Profile
innuendo Game Scores & Validity
• noun
An indirect, oblique, or subtle remark or hint, typically one that is disparaging, derogatory, or sexually suggestive.
"The comedian's monologue relied heavily on clever innuendo rather than explicit jokes."
An explanatory clause in a legal pleading for defamation that specifies how seemingly innocent words apply to the plaintiff or carry a defamatory meaning.
"The plaintiff's counsel included an innuendo in the complaint to demonstrate how the published article referred directly to their client."
• Rhymes for innuendo
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the mid-16th century from the Latin ablative gerund 'innuendo', meaning 'by nodding at, by pointing to, or by intimating', from 'innuere' ('to give a nod to'), composed of 'in-' ('toward') and 'nuere' ('to nod'). It originally entered English as a legal formula used in pleadings to introduce a parenthetical explanation of a previously mentioned person or thing.