a just detectable amount
"he speaks French with a trace of an accent"
"a hint mockery in her manner"
"a tint of glamour"
A clue.
"The missing puzzle piece was a subtle hint about where it belonged in the picture."
To imply without a direct statement; to provide a clue.
"The detective dropped a subtle hint about the suspect's whereabouts by mentioning he had been seen near the park last night."
In plain English: To hint means to give someone an indirect suggestion without saying it directly.
"She hinted that she might quit her job soon."
Usage: Use hint when you want to suggest something indirectly, whereas tell or say implies a direct and explicit communication. Avoid using hint as a noun if the sentence structure requires an action verb that clearly indicates providing a subtle clue rather than stating facts outright.
The word "hint" comes from Middle English variants meaning "to lay hold of or catch," which evolved from Old English roots for seizing something. Although its original sense involved physically grasping an object, the term traveled into modern usage to describe a subtle suggestion rather than a direct command.